Can Australia win in Sri Lanka and India ?

[Salamuddin]

Sri Lanka and India are the only places where Steve Waugh was unable to win a test series.

Does Ricky Ponting have the ammunition to win both series ?

 

[Langeveldt]

Sri Lanka and India are the only places where Steve Waugh was unable to win a test series.

Does Ricky Ponting have the ammunition to win both series ?

Yes.. Especially with Warne and Hogg firing..

India will be harder than SL IMO

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yes. Australia have (in my opinion) the best spinner ever back, and although he is out of practice, should be a handful on those turning pitches.

 

[Salamuddin]

Not withstanding the fact that Warne has been absolutely mauled in India on the '98 and 2001 tours.

Ok maybe he had an excuse in 98 but in 2001 he was bowling behind Mcgrath and Gillespie....

 

[Tom Halsey]

That counts for nothing. I think he will be succesful this time. :P

 

[Salamuddin]

And what do you base that on, that he will take wickets in India ?


Steve Waugh felt that to succeed in India, you have to hit them with quality pace not spin.
Watching them absolutely demolish Macgill over the last 3 tests, I can see why.

 

[Pratters]

Australia can definitely win in both countries. A crucial selection Hohns has talked about has been Bevan. It would be itneresting if he makes it as Australia realise they need more bowling power in their squad with the dangers of playing with 4 bowlers exposed (when their top 4 dont play together)

Langeveldt, I think MacGill is a much better bowler than Hogg and even though he so poorly vs India, he is better than Hogg.

These two tours will be very important on how peopel rate Australia in the end. A lot of Australian fans have liked to proclain their team under Waugh was better than even the Invincibles and the Windies of the mid 70s n 80s. What will be important is how Australia is able to regroup now that the top 4 of their bowlers can show some cracks and the Aussie team needs to remain as strong as ever even with changes in their squad.

Either the Aussies will come out strong in these tours and can dominate cricket for anoher 5 years. Or they will wilt in the two tours and will leave space for South Africa, India and Pakistan to battle for the top spot in test cricket.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think Australia will be hard pressed in Sri Lanka even with Warne back. I strongly suspect that Warne will never be the bowler he was and will not be around for too many seasons to come.

The bowling will be tested with the likes of MacGill and the rest of the supporting cast more so than McGrath and Gillespie. Still, I'd be interested to see how McGrath does on the flat Indian pitches.

As far as the batting concerned, runs likely await Hayden and possibly Ponting if Harbhajan is not at his best. Gilchrist may struggle, especially if the Indians crowd him with close-in fielders as they should.

All in all, I think Australia will come out victorious in Sri Lanka but will be beaten by India.

 

[Craig]

And what do you base that on, that he will take wickets in India ?


Steve Waugh felt that to succeed in India, you have to hit them with quality pace not spin.
Watching them absolutely demolish Macgill over the last 3 tests, I can see why.

But tell me when that worked?

 

[krkode]

Certainly they can. But I don't necessarily think they will. :rolleyes:

Just like India. They can be number 1. Doesn't mean they are or will anytime soon... :P

 

[Pratters]

But tell me when that worked?

It almost worked the last time Australia toured India. The Laxman-Dravid partnership (I did see it ) meant Waugh's plans failed in the end.

I think you have to win with pace with India and not with spin. MacGill is not an absolute bad bowler but he looked so ordinary vs India. Warne too has looked below par against India. I am not saying this coz I am Indian, but India is infact the best players of spin bowling. You cant beat us at our own game. When we went to Australia (test matches), it was the spinners who troubled the Aussies the most even though Agarkar had that spell. It was Sachin's two crucial wickets before that with 'spin'.

It would be silly to play 2 spinenrs vs India in India. It may work in Sri Lanka but I doubt it will be the most important factor. Warne may be the greatest spinner but the Indian batting line up is upto the task against him.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

It would be silly to play 2 spinenrs vs India in India. It may work in Sri Lanka but I doubt it will be the most important factor. Warne may be the greatest spinner but the Indian batting line up is upto the task against him.

Which begs the question, who of the seamers will support McGrath and Gillespie?

I don't think Bichel will be ripping through the lineup...

 

[Pratters]

Which begs the question, who of the seamers will support McGrath and Gillespie? I don't think Bichel will be ripping through the lineup...

But then what other options do Australia have? Play MacGill or Hogg? Its quite some time ahead before Australia come to India. There is the chance of Lee coming back strongly. He is very young and cant be written off. Then Bichel is pretty effective. I thought it was a mistake to drop him vs India infact. There is the possibilty of Kasporwicz or a young bowler like Bracken, Inness, Williams(I dont rate him very highly though) or even Hauritz coming through the ranks to support Lee and McGrath. I would thin k twice before playing two spinners vs India.

 

[Gaijin-san]

I think Ricky Ponting has the `ammunition`, as you say. Alone, I think he has them by the balls, going by recent records. His individual performances against them in 2003 plus his supreme captaincy in the World Cup which destroyed India (twice ) speak volumes.

Personally I think he`s going to be every bit as good a captain as Waugh, if not better. He`s a superstar.

 

[Jono]

^ Beating India in a ODI in South Africa is very different to beating them in a test series on Indian soil.

That doesn't mean I don't think Australia can win, because I believe they can, I just don't think they will. These next two tours will prove just how strong the Australian team really is.

 

[bennyr]

I think you've pretty much got that right, Jono. I reckon much depends on the fitness of the pace bowlers.I've never seen an Aussie RH legspinner give the Indian batsmen much grief, and it is unlikely to happen this year, so it's up to McGrath, Gillespie and whoever the other one is (probably a fully fit Lee), and like you said, they can beat India, but whether they will is another matter.

If the Aussie selectors persist with MacGill or Warne (and they will), this may present the opportunity India need to really punish the Aussie attack. I reckon Hogg is the better option, given the Indian batsmen seem to have a bit of trouble with Katich's ordinary chinamen.

 

[mavric41]

I think that these will be the most open tour selections in quite some time. Performances in the Pura Cup will be crucial for the rest of the year. Kaspa with a good season will put his name up for sure because he is a proven performer on the sub-continent. Other bowlers who can bat a bit will get preference such as Nicholson and Nofke. For such tough tours and a new captain I can't see many young players getting a go - maybe one or two.

My team for Sri Lanka

Ponting (c)
Hayden
Langer
Martyn
Katich
Gilchrist
Warne
Gillespie
MacGill

all certainities

the rest are possibles

McGrath (if fit)
Bichel
Kaspa
Lehmann
Clarke

I think Clarke will get in ahead of Love because he is a good player of spin.

Can Australia win in Sri Lanka and India?
Of course they can but they will need to play very well. India's confidence is high and Sri Lanka will take heart from India's performance.

 

[Richard]

Tell me, when has seam and swing worked in India or Sri Lanka? Not very often, because very rarely do you get Test pitches produced there that help seam, and swing is hard to achieve with abrasive outfields and dry air.
How many medium-fast \ fast-medium \ fast bowlers do Australia have who offer something more than seam and swing. Bichel, Kasprowicz, Lee, Williams, Bracken, Tait, almost anyone you care to name: no way.
The notion that you can hit a quality batsman with "pace" has been proven ludicrous many times now, but still people cling to past misunderstandings.
The best chance of beating India in India and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka (as South Africa and England respectively have shown) is to possess bowlers like Donald, Klusener, Gough and White, who offer movement in every way you could imagine, on any surface. Because outstanding bowlers prevail on all surfaces.
The wickets in Sri Lanka and India tend to suit spinners. Yes, the batsmen are hence better equipped at coping than most, but still, outstanding bowlers will prevail. Warne has simply gone to pieces on his two tours to India (not, significantly, on his one to Sri Lanka) and I can't conceive that this will possibly happen again. The failure of MacGill can't have much stall set by it - he's an ordinary bowler and India are the latest in a line of increasing length of decent teams to prove that.
If Australia go to India and Sri Lanka with the attack of McGrath, Gillespie, Inness and Warne, they will have a better chance than if they don't take either of the latter two. If Lee goes there he's almost certainly going to get a pasting even worse than what he's been handed-out to for most of the last 3 years. Bichel, Kasprowicz and others who have good domestic records (note: this excludes Bracken and Williams) are essentially proven Test failures. No reason to expect that to change in Sri Lanka or India.
If Brad Hogg goes to either place I would be hiding my eyes if I didn't want to see him hammered and exposed as rubbish once and for all (though Lara did a reasonable job).
In summary, I will be disappointed if Sri Lanka and India fail to beat Australia, but of course in this game you can never say anything for certain.