***Official*** 2nd Test at Adelaide

[stephen]

??

Rabada is at least equally as good.

Also worth noting that even during Cummins' hostile spell at Root he was still managing to score off him

Yeah I got overly exuberant watching Cummins bounce out Indians in India. Rabada is that good and on current form better. But these two are the picks of the young quicks goind around at the moment and are going to draw crowds.

 

[Cow]

Yeah I got overly exuberant watching Cummins bounce out Indians in India. Rabada is that good and on current form better. But these two are the picks of the young quicks goind around at the moment and are going to draw crowds.

No arguing against that.

 

[morgieb]

i assume if root nicks cummins first thing tomorrow morning it'll be because he didn't want to win, ofc

have to be prepared to lose to win

 

[Starfighter]

One of the games real mysteries.

South Africa in many ways very similar to Australia with weather and pitch hardness and use of the kookaburra but we tend to get more swing here. It's not like it's only on the highveld as Cape Town is like Perth & Durban like Brisbane. Although in recent years reverse has become more lethal in Durban.

The seam is an interesting issue and I would say the seam movement is probably the biggest difference between the countries considering the similarities.


Great to hear. Hopefully catch some highlights later. Cummins in full flow on of the best sights in cricket at the moment.

Yeah, I do wonder why the ball swings more in SA.

I mention the seam because I've seen some Dukes balls, a couple of Reader's (anyone remember those?) and some cheaper Indian made balls and they all have thicker threads and prouder seams that the Kookaburra, and they swing more too.
They have actually changed the thickness of the threads at various point - in Australia they were made thinner after the 78/79 Ashes, even though the low scores in that series were due to crap batting and pitches, and they did the same in England around 1990, also to help the batsmen.

I mention Cummin's out swinger more as an aesthetic point rather than a wicket taking one - what he's doing now is fantastic. But cricket's an aesthetic game and I'm a sucker for old-fashioned, fully side on, Fred Trueman style bowling action and swinging the ball a long way in the air, and Cummins is like two-thirds side on and swings the ball a little bit, so he could improve aesthetically. Especially as he's already got the face and hair. Needs some Brylcreem though.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

I'll give England a bit of a chance here.

Australia certainly seemed to get very tense there and perhaps lose a bit of their cool. I'll blame our brainless bowling yesterday afternoon for the current situation. Runs aside, our bowlers would have been more tired after bowling at Woakes and Overton, which might have made Smith more in favour of batting again, but the extra time taken up meant no time batting against the new ball before the lights came on, so we had to bat in more difficult conditions. Our batting today was extremely disappointing.

 

[Top_Cat]

I'm as big a fan of Cummins as anyone but Rabada just took his 100th Test wicket two years younger at a rate similar to Waqar Younis, one of the fastest to 100 poles ever. Rabada already leads SA's attack whereas we're just happy Cummins is back on the park. Night and day, raw ability aside.

 

[Starfighter]

Well, the tour to SA will show what's what. Won't be able to watch it but still looking forward to it.

 

[oblongballs]

I'm as big a fan of Cummins as anyone but Rabada just took his 100th Test wicket two years younger at a rate similar to Waqar Younis, one of the fastest to 100 poles ever. Rabada already leads SA's attack whereas we're just happy Cummins is back on the park. Night and day, raw ability aside.

Maybe Cummins is flattered by early performances across a very small sample size?

 

[vcs]

Also, turns out Warner's trademark 3rd innings "downhill skiing" hundreds are actually valuable.

 

[Spark]

Also, turns out Warner's trademark 3rd innings "downhill skiing" hundreds are actually valuable.

Tbf I don't think anyone has argued that they're useless, merely that they aren't as valuable as runs made first up. Which they aren't.

Only Blocky argued otherwise, though, and obviously that makes the argument so ludicrous that only an sociopath with no capability for sincerity could make it.

EDIT: Also I think a lot of the opprobium came because he would (a) only make 3rd innings runs for a while and (b) still have C9 waxing not-so-lyrical about him anyway. Combined with his well-known drop in output when we really needed him away from home, and it pissed off a lot of posters here.

 

[oblongballs]

England's match to lose if Woakes/Ali still there when/if Root gets to his ton?

I see it the opposite way. this is Australia's to lose with a lead of 178 and only 6 wickets left...6 very flimsy wicket. Root will have to be a one man show and Ali will need to play one of those innings he became famous for over the last 18 months or so.

 

[Cow]

I see it the opposite way. this is Australia's to lose with a lead of 178 and only 6 wickets left...6 very flimsy wicket. Root will have to be a one man show and Ali will need to play one of those innings he became famous for over the last 18 months or so.

I hope Ali attacks Lyon... I don't wanna see him nick behind for a 40 ball 10.

 

[Gob]

Get the feeling this could get real close. Aust needs to bowl with great discipline till they get to the new pill.

Full credit to England for the fight back. Would be an unbelievable come back win if they pull it

 

[oblongballs]

I hope Ali attacks Lyon... I don't wanna see him nick behind for a 40 ball 10.

yep, Ali might as well go for it - a 45 off 35 is better than a slow, plodding 20

Get the feeling this could get real close. Aust needs to bowl with great discipline till they get to the new pill.

Full credit to England for the fight back. Would be an unbelievable come back win if they pull it

Yep, if it is a win it would be one of the great ones on Aus soil, kinda reminds me of the Pak/Aus test last year

 

[Tom Flint]

Cant just expect ali to stroll out and make 40 off 25. What if he gets out for f all trying to go for it. He'd look a complete fool. Just play yourselves in and hit punish the bad ones. If we can get in down to below 100 with 5 wickets left then the runs will start to come easier

 

[OverratedSanity]

Good to see some spine from England. Hope they win, the series needs it.

 

[GIMH]

What time is play starting tomorrow? Gonna have to watch from the off FFS

spoilers for tomorrow

Root to score another 93 (unbeaten)
Woakes to hit another 20 before being wrongly given out caught despite two bounces
Ali to hit a breezy 30 before being run out
Bairstow to hit 23 before being lbw
Broad to hit a six with his first ball to win the game

(There will be a few extras too)

 

[Cow]

GIMH is a wonderful poster.

 

[Gob]

What time is play starting tomorrow? Gonna have to watch from the off FFS

spoilers for tomorrow

Root to score another 93 (unbeaten)
Woakes to hit another 20 before being wrongly given out caught despite two bounces
Ali to hit a breezy 30 before being run out
Bairstow to hit 23 before being lbw
Broad to hit a six with his first ball to win the game

(There will be a few extras too)

And i will legitimately commit suacide

 

[stephen]

Maybe Cummins is flattered by early performances across a very small sample size?

I'd say the opposite is true for Cummins. He's due to dramatically improve on his average in the next few matches. The guy had played 5 tests before this summer, 4 of them in the subcontinent on wickets designed to give him absolutely nothing. He was still ridiculously impressive.