**Official** Australia in Bangladesh

[no1_gangsta_786]

Bangladesh are doing really well atm but mayb they will have a second innings collapse like they usually do.

 

[social]

Spot on, SJS. Especially when Australia aren't playing RSA or England, both teams who seem to play the bowler (WArne) than the ball... Warne is a brilliant bowler with a million tricks up his sleeve, but honestly, the way Englishmen played (or tried to play) him was not off the top drawer. Without McGrath, they are so heavily dependent on WArne that it is not even funny. But at least they did the right thing this time and gave MacGill a game. He always picks up wickets, they may be off long hops and full tosses but he has done it so often now that it is kinda ridiculous to suggest that he is just a "lucky" bowler.

EDIT: And while Lee is now a very good bowler, finally delivering on the promise, I still don't like the idea of guys like Kasper and Dizzy coming back. Dizzy didn't look in full throttle yesterday, even though he used his experience and bowled very cleverly. Clark looks good, but I would love to see him tested in tougher conditions. But I still don't think Australia's bowling stocks are as good as they used to be.

All good points.

I've always maintained that McGrath has been the world's best bowler for 10 years or more - the guy almost never fails to deliver and the records show that the world is a far harder place for Aus without him. BUT he's 36 and has suffered a major injury and family tragedy. No-one can expect him to be as good now as he was even 3 years ago.

Dizzy is an excellent professional but, in the field, his body betrays him. He LOOKS old and is not half the bowler he was a couple of years ago!

Lee is now one of the world's best but is obviously buggered by the amount of cricket he's been forced to play.

Same for Warne but he's older and will take longer to recover. I must be one of the few that didnt think he bowled that well against Eng.

Let's be honest - Kaspa, nice bloke that he is, was never a top liner.

Clark is a consummate professional but his figures against SA cant be maintained.

Aus is going through a transitional period and there will be more pain before they dominate again.

MacGill, as usual, has proven that he's at least the 3rd best Aus bowler.

 

[Majin]

Bangladesh are really playing well, and I seriously hope more than I ever have in this game, even in the Ashes, that they can pull it off. If, if they can get Aus out for under the 82 they need to avoid the follow on, i'd still reckon they should bat again and try and put on as many runs as they can before trying to bowl the Aussies out in the 4th innings. As well as they're playing Aus are still the quality team and you know they won't make the same mistakes twice.

 

[steds]

I love this match.

 

[chris.hinton]

It makes cricket more interesting this match does

 

[SJS]

Anyway, I apologise for the rubbish comment earlier. I wasn't frustrated or trying to be rude, simply to disagree. Perhaps I came across a bit strong.

 

[howardj]

My main thought when Bangers made 400-odd was that, for Australia to win, they would have to score at least 600 runs. Doing that involves getting your hands dirty. It's pretty obvious, even in some of the 'looking forward to the long break' comments leading up to this Test Match, that Australia came to Bangladesh hoping that they wouldn't have to do just that (get their hands dirty). Once you start thinking that way, it really opens the door for your opponents.

 

[howardj]

On the other hand, maybe Im being an expert after the event.

 

[simmy]

If Bangladesh finish them off, it would probably mean more to me than England winning the Ashes.

Best. Game. Ever!

 

[Trigger_Tiger]

.....

It's not about potential or improvement. Bangladesh still is the worst team in the world until they get the results to prove otherwise. They may have played well agaist Sri Lanka, but they didn't beat them (Tests). The still haven't won a Test against a significant nation.

I'm not just saying this because West Indies is the next step up. When Bangladesh put results to prove that they're better than the worst team in the world, only then will they be elevated from that position. The world of cricket (bar Australia) will be all the better for it.

Agreed, but the tone in which he said that stuff was ugly.....being bad and being the wrost is different. Being on the bottom of the list and trying and being on the bottom of the list because they suck and can never improve is different.

But I get your point well, the whole deal the the rankings do matter !!!!!~~~~~

 

[Trigger_Tiger]

.....

If Bangladesh finish them off, it would probably mean more to me than England winning the Ashes.

Best. Game. Ever!

Mighty right you are, it reminds me a little of the Pakistan game back in 2003....darn
that Big man Inzamam-ul-Haque.....he alone drove the Pakistani's home !!!!!

Good man that big fellow !!!!!~~~~~

 

[C_C]

I've always maintained that McGrath has been the world's best bowler for 10 years or more

Uhh 10 years ?
McGrath has barely been playing international cricket for 10 years and i would like to remind you that circa 1996, Wasim, Ambrose and Donald were higher in the pecking order than McGrath.
McGrath genuinely staked a claim around 98/99 as far as i am concerned.

 

[luckyeddie]

I think if you said that Murali impales babies with his croocked arm and then proceeds to eat them as part of a satanic ritual, half the people would agree with you.

Cooked - not raw.

He's not a complete Barbarian, you know.

 

[luckyeddie]

If the Bangla's don't win, it'd be due to Rafiques haircut one would assume.

If Australia win, it will be entirely down to Jason Gillespie's hairdresser.

By getting rid of the "Buy my lucky heather, Dearie?" look, that means, er, more lucky heather for Australia.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Not sure that this would mean more to me than The Ashes, but if Bangladesh win this... I will absolutely love it. Nothing better than the Aussies in disarray.

 

[silentstriker]

If Bangladesh manage to win a single game in this series, I will apply for Bangladesh Citizenship.

So....Sanz....still so confident?


/Don't worry, I was just as confident as you.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Been away in the Lake District for the weekend...

Sunday, 09h00: Wake up. Switch on TV. Turn to BBC 1. Press Text button (old analogue style Ceefax). Page 340. Ahh, Bangladesh v Australia. Enter page number. Noooo! Bloody mountains in the way. Only random letters are actually appearing. Who the hell is M A@* %ful ? Looks like Bangladesh aren't doing too badly, but can't see anything properly.

Sunday, 09h30: Finish breakfast of hot cross buns. Brainwave. Try ITV Teletext. Turn on TV. Press Text button. What the hell is the cricket page on ITV? Some little gnome in the back of my head says it's page 450. Enter 450. Ooh! Ooh! It's working. Bangladesh v Australia - page 461. Enter 461. Shahriar Nafees - 121*. Woohoo!

Monday, 09h00: Wake up. Turn on TV. Straight onto ITV. No messing this time - page 461. Aussies are three down. My sceptical Dad, who reckons that all Asian games are fixed, now agrees that the pitch can't be as flat as a pancake.

Monday, 10h00: Pink grapefruit still running down my chin. Turn on TV. Already on ITV. Page 461. Wild party dance - five down now.

And to make my day even better... I get home and Wisden has arrived.

 

[andyc]

Bangladesh are doing really well atm but mayb they will have a second innings collapse like they usually do.

Yeah hopefully they will. I must say I had a dream where Symonds took something like 3/8 and we only had to chase down around 200. Unfortunately that's not going to happen, as Symonds is 12th man. All the same, if Australia get to within 150 of the Tigers, the game's pretty much up in the air. And if worst comes to worst, we could just bat it out for a draw.

 

[Blaze]

I still think Australia will win easily, and will even lead on the first innings but if Bangladesh did manage to pull off a win would it be the biggest upset in the history of sport?

 

[Neil Pickup]

I still think Australia will win easily, and will even lead on the first innings but if Bangladesh did manage to pull off a win would it be the biggest upset in the history of sport?

History of cricket, yes.

History of sport... there's a hell of a lot to pick from. FA Cup has a lot, for starters.