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

S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
halba said:
Did u happen to see Australia batting or paper thin lineup? Guys like Mitch Marsh got 4 tests this series, total walking wicket rubbish.

Both batting lineups are made of cardboard.
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Yes but the Aus middle order has been sporadically contributing while India are batting Pant and Jadeja at 5 and 6, and are a decent pacer short.
 
S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Prince EWS said:
Nothing is more sure to get a love-reacc out of me than a reference to Shane Warne bowling in India with a broken toenail.

Especially since Shamar Joseph literally bowled his team to victory against Australia in Australia with a much worse version of that injury just recently.

Will Bumrah be the Virgin Warne or the Chad Joseph?
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Bumrah bowling India to victory with a bad back in Aus will make him the stuff of legends.
 
H

halba

International Debutant
subshakerz said:
Yes but the Aus middle order has been sporadically contributing while India are batting Pant and Jadeja at 5 and 6, and are a decent pacer short.
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They are still technically down on the series- India. Can only max draw series. Will know the outcome tomorrow. Jadeja and Washi need a big partnership to put the game away.

I think Boland will come on straight away. He's one of the best home specialist fast bowlers ever in cricket history.
 
S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
halba said:
They are still technically down on the series- India. Can only max draw series. Will know the outcome tomorrow. Jadeja and Washi need a big partnership to put the game away.

I think Boland will come on straight away. He's one of the best home specialist fast bowlers ever in cricket history.
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They need to start with Bolland and Cummins. None of this Webster nonsense. Hopefully one of them produces a jaffa. And get Starc (assuming he is fit) to finish the final two.
 
Sunil1z

Sunil1z

International Regular
OverratedSanity said:
Haha the worst thing is a lot of these aren't even drives. Nicking a cover drive to slip is far more understandable than defending a ball on 6th stump.

He keep going more across the stumps to draw the bowlers into bowling straight but they keep going even wider, it's kinda hilarious.
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And what would explain his consistent inability to play spin bowling in last few years ?
 
kyear2

kyear2

International Coach
Prince EWS said:
Yeah I know it's Smith who's shelled them but the fact that Khawaja is at slip ahead of Webster really shows how much Test teams undervalue the skill. It's total madness.

Gonna tag @kyear2 here.
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I'm working on post for another thread, but I've also posted recently about how slip catching has been one one of the great determinators of this series so far.

When Australia catches well, they win. When Khawaja dropped Jaiswal it cost them the match, and I think he had at least one other drop this series that comes to mind. When Smith dropped K.L. it cost Australia the chance to at least enforce the follow on and press for victory.

So yes it's infuriating to see how the slip cordons are allocated.

I queried in one of the previous test threads why was Khawaja still at slip. One of the factors that led the Australia winning that last test was Smith moving to first where he pulled off that blinder, and for those who said it wasn't that special (@subshakerz ), coming forward is the most difficult of catches in the cordon and where most half chances go to die.

I've also commented on India's decisions on who goes into the cordon seems more based on seniority and favor than ability. K.L. is one of India's best slip fielders and a main reason why they are in this strong position in this game, and was only in 2nd because Rohit stepped down. I will admit that Virat has improved and he made some excellent grabs this series, but he's not elite at 2nd and let a couple half chances slip (pun intended), in the last game.

It's a specialists position and some teams treat it as a place to hide the bigger guys who can't move or a reward for captaincy or tenure.

But it was refreshing to see the debutant at 3rd, because it shows that, Khawaja aside, that it is a merit based position and not one based on seniority.

But this too sadly is reflected in the posts of many of the forum members here, one actively tries to down play it and most of the others are ambivalent. How one's cordon performs is just as important as any of the other all rounder secondary roles, and players like Waugh, Hooper and Coney were invaluable to their teams.

This under appreciation also extends to keeping, and I know part of that is due to the bat deep push, but a large part of it is because it's not spread sheet friendly.

Anyways, yes it's maddeningly under appreciated, but it's just part of this new era of cricket and the game is poorer for it.

Apologies for the rant.
 
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S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
kyear2 said:
I'm working on post for another thread, but I've also posted recently about how slip catching has been one one of the great determinators of this series so far.

When Australia catches well, they win. When Khawaja dropped Jaiswal it cost them the match, and I think he had at least one other drop this series that comes to mind. When Smith dropped K.L. it cost Australia the chance to at least enforce the follow on and press for victory.

So yes it's infuriating to see how the slip cordons are allocated.

I queried in one of the previous test threads why was Khawaja still at slip. One of the factors that led the Australia winning that last test was Smith moving to first where he pulled off that blinder, and for those who said it wasn't that special (@subshakerz ), coming forward is the most difficult of catches in the cordon and where most half chances go to die.

I've also commented on India's decisions on who goes into the cordon seems more based on seniority and favor than ability. K.L. is one of India's best slip fielders and a main reason why they are in this strong position in this game, and was only in 2nd because Rohit stepped down. I will admit that Virat has improved and he made some excellent grabs this series, but he's not elite at 2nd and let a couple half chances slip (pun intended), in the last game.

It's a specialists position and some teams treat it as a place to hide the bigger guys who can't move or a reward for captaincy or tenure.

But it was refreshing to see the debutant at 3rd, because it shows that, Khawaja aside, that it is a merit based position and not one based on seniority.

But this too sadly is reflected in the posts of many of the forum members here, one actively tries to down play it and most of the others are ambivalent. How one's cordon performs is just as important as any of the other all rounder secondary roles, and players like Waugh, Hooper and Coney were invaluable to their teams.

This under appreciation also extends to keeping, and I know part of that is due to the bat deep push, but a large part of it is because it's not spread sheet friendly.

Anyways, yes it's maddeningly under appreciated, but it's just part of this new era of cricket and the game is poorer for it.

Apologies for the rant.
Click to expand...
Will you admit you were wrong for calling Smith an elite slip catcher?
 
B

Betterpolo

School Boy/Girl Captain
kyear2 said:
I'm working on post for another thread, but I've also posted recently about how slip catching has been one one of the great determinators of this series so far.

When Australia catches well, they win. When Khawaja dropped Jaiswal it cost them the match, and I think he had at least one other drop this series that comes to mind. When Smith dropped K.L. it cost Australia the chance to at least enforce the follow on and press for victory.

So yes it's infuriating to see how the slip cordons are allocated.

I queried in one of the previous test threads why was Khawaja still at slip. One of the factors that led the Australia winning that last test was Smith moving to first where he pulled off that blinder, and for those who said it wasn't that special (@subshakerz ), coming forward is the most difficult of catches in the cordon and where most half chances go to die.

I've also commented on India's decisions on who goes into the cordon seems more based on seniority and favor than ability. K.L. is one of India's best slip fielders and a main reason why they are in this strong position in this game, and was only in 2nd because Rohit stepped down. I will admit that Virat has improved and he made some excellent grabs this series, but he's not elite at 2nd and let a couple half chances slip (pun intended), in the last game.

It's a specialists position and some teams treat it as a place to hide the bigger guys who can't move or a reward for captaincy or tenure.

But it was refreshing to see the debutant at 3rd, because it shows that, Khawaja aside, that it is a merit based position and not one based on seniority.

But this too sadly is reflected in the posts of many of the forum members here, one actively tries to down play it and most of the others are ambivalent. How one's cordon performs is just as important as any of the other all rounder secondary roles, and players like Waugh, Hooper and Coney were invaluable to their teams.

This under appreciation also extends to keeping, and I know part of that is due to the bat deep push, but a large part of it is because it's not spread sheet friendly.

Anyways, yes it's maddeningly under appreciated, but it's just part of this new era of cricket and the game is poorer for it.

Apologies for the rant.
Click to expand...
I also wonder why in a stats based game numbers around slip performances aren’t captured and shared more. I mean, teams must have them but don’t see much of them elsewhere. Will look forward to the thread
 
FBU

FBU

International Debutant
kyear2

kyear2

International Coach
subshakerz said:
Will you admit you were wrong for calling Smith an elite slip catcher?
Click to expand...
From the entire post, that's what you're going to focus on, lol.

Smith is the absolute hardest to rate, he makes catches that very few can, he also drops some absolute sitters and then goes ahead and plays superman like he did last night and potentially cost the team.

In a way he's like Lara or Steyn. Brilliant but can disappear like Lara or the equivalent of getting taken apart like Steyn could. Elite guys don't drop those.

He's not in my elite top 20, he's still in my top 50.
 
wpdavid

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Qlder said:
This one would have to go close

View attachment 44078
Click to expand...

Here's another one for you, and the range would have been less than 10 whatever happened if they hadn't run out of time.
www.espncricinfo.com

AUS vs ENG Cricket Scorecard, 3rd Test at Melbourne, December 26 - 31, 1974

Get cricket scorecard of 3rd Test, AUS vs ENG, England tour of Australia 1974/75 at Melbourne Cricket Ground dated December 26 - 31, 1974.
www.espncricinfo.com www.espncricinfo.com

And here are highlights of the whole match, in case anyone fancies taking a look.
 
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S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
kyear2 said:
From the entire post, that's what you're going to focus on, lol.

Smith is the absolute hardest to rate, he makes catches that very few can, he also drops some absolute sitters and then goes ahead and plays superman like he did last night and potentially cost the team.

In a way he's like Lara or Steyn. Brilliant but can disappear like Lara or the equivalent of getting taken apart like Steyn could. Elite guys don't drop those.

He's not in my elite top 20, he's still in my top 50.
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So I will take that as an admission that you were wrong to call him elite since I don't think you have an actual list of 50 slip catchers.
 
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