32nd Match - Australia v Sri Lanka (8th March 2015)

[Spark]

i don't think anyone would honestly argue that smith is better than sanga, but better form - which, if you want a definition, you could take as "more likely to make a significant score in a live match situation" - is a different matter.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

i don't think anyone would honestly argue that smith is better than sanga, but better form - which, if you want a definition, you could take as "more likely to make a significant score in a live match situation" - is a different matter.

Of course Sanga is in better form - the bloke is in the top 5 odi bats in recent times along with AB, Amla, Williamson and Kohli.
Smith isn't

 

[viriya]

so are we talking one series or



make up your mind.

Last series vs NZ, Sanga made a double. Even last year, even though Smith did well vs SA he didn't dominate - just vs India. Smith is comparable to Kohli at Test level atm, but that's about it. He doesn't compare to Kohli in ODI cricket though.

 

[Jimbo the giant]

i don't think anyone would honestly argue that smith is better than sanga, but better form - which, if you want a definition, you could take as "more likely to make a significant score in a live match situation" - is a different matter.

Its funny because Sanga has scored as many ODI 100's in his last 3 innings as Smith has in his Career! (I know Ed Joyce has scored more ODI 100's then Misbah has in his last innings so that doesn't mean everything but you can get the point)

Sanga scored more runs in 2014 across all formats than anyone has ever in a calendar year, and he's doing bloody good in 2015 too, not bad form I reckon

 

[Spark]

Its funny because Sanga has scored as many ODI 100's in his last 3 innings as Smith has in his Career! (I know Ed Joyce has scored more ODI 100's then Misbah has in his last innings so that doesn't mean everything but you can get the point)

Sanga scored more runs in 2014 across all formats than anyone has ever in a calendar year, and he's doing bloody good in 2015 too, not bad form I reckon

i don't know what point you think you're arguing against here but it isn't one that i made

 

[Jimbo the giant]

i don't know what point you think you're arguing against here but it isn't one that i made

I just reckon if i had to pick one batsman in the world today to bat for my life it would have to be Sanga. I'd pick him over anyone including AB and Kohli. He's a big time player and good under pressure.

"more likely to make a significant score in a live match situation" I don't know what this is suppose to mean but i'd back Sanga to score more runs than Smith any day of the week. Even with Smith facing Thisara and Sanga facing Starc/Johnson.

 

[Jono]

Arguing over who is in better form is such a pointless thing. Even if you win the debate, what do you really prove? Form is just such an arbitrary thing. How many matches counts? Do you include both formats? etc etc

 

[BigBrother]

The Aussie batting was mighty impressive, the way Clarke played makes them seem unstoppable. If Smith or Clarke can bat deep they have so many brutal batsman who can bat around them and it makes it mighty difficult to restrict them (definitely not talking about Johnson or Starc though who the commies like to think are Viv Richards types which is a joke).

Their batting does seem the more ominous suit but that's probably just ODI cricket these days, they have some excellent bowlers and the fielding makes even Glenn Maxwell difficult to score off.

Just about the whole tournament has been played on roads so it's not exactly fair to say that imo. With all due respect to sides like India and Sri Lanka, it's hard not to mention the elephant in the room now. Which is the fact that the tournament has been played to their strength so far.

Tactically, it doesn't make much sense at all from an Aus/NZ point of view. The last thing they would want is to put 350+ on the board in the knockouts and then have India and SL chase it down with ease. That type of conditions suits them rather than the hosts. So I really don't understand why pitches have been so damn flat ever since the India test series. I mean we saw some pretty decent pitches in the tri series and saw that sides like India certainly do struggle quite a bit when bowlers have something to work with. But it went back to roads again as soon as the world cup started.

So yeah it's hard to understand these tactics from the Trans-Tasman staff. I mean it's not like India and SL put up conditions helpful to them when they toured in 2011 or like ever... so it's hard to understand why we are getting a batting haven just about every single game. Because if they keep this up, forget South Africa, it's going to be India or Sri Lanka that knocks the hosts out.

Credit to NZ for keeping all their opposition to pretty low scores so far. But it has to be said though, for the top teams they played, it also had a lot to with the opposition not keeping their heads.

 

[Burgey]

Of course Sanga is in better form - the bloke is in the top 5 odi bats in recent times along with AB, Amla, Williamson and Kohli.
Smith isn't

lol

 

[viriya]

lol

It's arguable who's better in Tests, but in ODIs Kane wins hands down.

 

[Burgey]

Well work sucked, but not too concerned we lost this one, always thought if we lost the toss they'd go big and bat us out of the game barring a Sanga miracle or something similar, nice to see Chandimal in the runs too, didn't think he had it in him to pull something like that off - anyone know what his injury is like? This performance tells me the batting is working fine, the hugeness of the chase probably contributed to us falling comfortably short in the end but it sounded like we were in it till about the last 10 overs. This 7 batsmen thing just has to stop, the bowling is so weak and selection like that just makes it weaker, we desperately needed another seamer today, hopefully phatty is all good by the QFs too. Playing SA at the SCG won't be a bad result for us.

It was a pretty good effort at so large a chase, mate. The ultimate margin doesn't represent how tense it was out there until Chandimal sadly got hurt. Dilshan and Sanga were fantastic.

 

[Burgey]

It's arguable who's better in Tests, but in ODIs Kane wins hands down.

I was laughing at him being considered a top five ODI batsman.

 

[Jono]

Burgey how was the atmosphere? Looked so good on TV. Made me wish I got off my arse and walked to the SCG. Was tempted when Maxwell got going.

SL fans are great, so underrated. Ind vs. SL has to somehow happen at this world cup.

 

[hendrix]

Just about the whole tournament has been played on roads so it's not exactly fair to say that imo. With all due respect to sides like India and Sri Lanka, it's hard not to mention the elephant in the room now. Which is the fact that the tournament has been played to their strength so far.

Tactically, it doesn't make much sense at all from an Aus/NZ point of view. The last thing they would want is to put 350+ on the board in the knockouts and then have India and SL chase it down with ease. That type of conditions suits them rather than the hosts. So I really don't understand why pitches have been so damn flat ever since the India test series. I mean we saw some pretty decent pitches in the tri series and saw that sides like India certainly do struggle quite a bit when bowlers have something to work with. But it went back to roads again as soon as the world cup started.

So yeah it's hard to understand these tactics from the Trans-Tasman staff. I mean it's not like India and SL put up conditions helpful to them when they toured in 2011 or like ever... so it's hard to understand why we are getting a batting haven just about every single game. Because if they keep this up, forget South Africa, it's going to be India or Sri Lanka that knocks the hosts out.

Credit to NZ for keeping all their opposition to pretty low scores so far. But it has to be said though, for the top teams they played, it also had a lot to with the opposition not keeping their heads.

IDGI.
Pitches have always been flat in ODIs. The high scores have been due to a combination of the new rules, excellent batting and poor bowling.

The pitches have not offered turn and have offered pace, bounce and carry. They have not played into the Asian teams' hands at all.

 

[Pratters]

An India Lanka game filled to capacity would just rock, yeah.

 

[Jono]

Pitches have always been flat in ODIs. The high scores have been due to a combination of the new rules, excellent batting and poor bowling.

Yep.

Pitches are not any flatter than 2006. Two new balls and fielding restrictions have made it easier to score.

 

[Burgey]

Burgey how was the atmosphere? Looked so good on TV. Made me wish I got off my arse and walked to the SCG. Was tempted when Maxwell got going.

SL fans are great, so underrated. Ind vs. SL has to somehow happen at this world cup.

Mate it was fantastic. The Lankan fans are brilliant. Even when Maxwell was going coco bananas they kept cheering and waving their flags.

It was tense during the chase. I really thought at the break there wasn't much of a chance of SL getting anywhere near the total, but they batted brilliantly. This is the first ODI I've been to in a few years (last one was also Aus-SL and it got washed out) and I think the first I've seen under the new restrictions. It's actually quite brutal to watch fielding sides try to work the boundary riders. TBH I don't much like it, I think it's unfair.

Also, the boundaries were a fair way in. It probably didn't look it on the tv, but the signage isn't on the normal fences, it's set up inside them, then there's the rope inside the extra signage as well.

 

[BigBrother]

IDGI.
Pitches have always been flat in ODIs. The high scores have been due to a combination of the new rules, excellent batting and poor bowling.

The pitches have not offered turn and have offered pace, bounce and carry. They have not played into the Asian teams' hands at all.

Always been flat compared to what? Test cricket? Maybe. But it was the same as the in the past ODI's even a few years ago? On Aus and NZ conditions on top of that? Ehh..just.. no. This has been the most bat friendly world cup yet and all the stats would agree, not saying all that is due to pitches though.

Having kept up with the ODI cricket played in India around last year the difference in results in the Tasman series, I very much disagree with the last sentence. Aus/NZ pitches are always bouncier than the rest, doesn't mean it's threatening bounce though. You probably need no better example for my point than the Ind-WI scorecard at Perth. It just sucks that WI batsmen look so pathetic on their bad days.

 

[Burgey]

I should also say that among the bludgeoning that went on, what really stood out to me was the ease with which both Sangakkara and Clarke batted. Everyone else seemed to be pasting it, but they'd just caress it away with no less force than anyone else, but a whole lot less fuss. They were dismissive.

 

[Adders]

Mate it was fantastic. The Lankan fans are brilliant.

Did you get the opportunity to share your views on Sri Lankas worth in world cricket with any of them