*Official* Australia in India 2010

[vcs]

Which Australia? The one which rendered almost all International contests irrelevant with their astounding supremacy before 2007? Or the pale shadow which is plunging to No.5 in ICC test rankings??

The one that wins Champions Trophies and away series in places like SA even as a pale shadow of their former selves.

 

[vcs]

Also in a two-match series, India cannot start as slowly they usually tend to do.

 

[Sir Alex]

Pride cometh before the fall and all that Alex...

Hopefully. Because a strong Australia is a must imho for World Cricket.

 

[Matt79]

Even at our current level we're a "strong" team, in that we would and have been competitive against everyone we've played. A weird comment given the bemoaning of the dominance through most of this decade.

Unless you're being sarcastic...

 

[Sir Alex]

The one that wins Champions Trophies and away series in places like SA even as a pale shadow of their former selves.

I never doubted for a moment that Aus has gone down as a One Day team.

Your example SA series looks more and more an exception with every series. ffs they couldn't even beat an understsong Pak away. Has gone down to England and India away in the same period. Remember that with their best resources they've struggled in India. So with this team, which imho has been the weakest team to tour India in my memory, I don't expect miracles. A 1-0 loss will be not terribly bad and a draw would be brilliant.

 

[Sir Alex]

Even at our current level we're a "strong" team, in that we would and have been competitive against everyone we've played. A weird comment given the bemoaning of the dominance through most of this decade.

Unless you're being sarcastic...

Competitive is a funny word, but in case of present Australia, I don't think it can mean strong.

However I do concede they are still the favorites at home

 

[Spark]

You're underestimating Australia's bowling though.

I reckon they'll be solid but the big question mark is Johnson. A Johnson bowling well as he can often makes the whole bowling attack solid and very good. A Johnson bowling as well as he can makes the bowling attack downright terrifying. A Johnson bowling as well as he did in his last two tests makes the bowling attack downright terrible.

 

[Matt79]

I never doubted for a moment that Aus has gone down as a One Day team.

Your example SA series looks more and more an exception with every series. ffs they couldn't even beat an understsong Pak away. Has gone down to England and India away in the same period. Remember that with their best resources they've struggled in India. So with this team, which imho has been the weakest team to tour India in my memory, I don't expect miracles. A 1-0 loss will be not terribly bad and a draw would be brilliant.

England is a venue more helpful to Pakistan than us, given their bowling attack's strengths compared to ours, and specifically Johnson's problems bowling there. Can't see how you can say we're not 'strong' in the sense that is required for world cricket when we play out good tests against England, SA etc.

 

[Matt79]

I never doubted for a moment that Aus has gone down as a One Day team.

Your example SA series looks more and more an exception with every series. ffs they couldn't even beat an understsong Pak away. Has gone down to England and India away in the same period. Remember that with their best resources they've struggled in India. So with this team, which imho has been the weakest team to tour India in my memory, I don't expect miracles. A 1-0 loss will be not terribly bad and a draw would be brilliant.

Like in 2004? We were horrible in 2008, but that was the nadir of our team following some big retirements. We're a much better unit than we were then. This is a much better team than the one that toured in 2008.

 

[benchmark00]

Why not?

We went touring SL with 4 of our best guys missing and our bowling attack resembling a A level team. And still we performed better than expectations against a batting lineup arguably inferior only to India's own batting in the subcontinent.

Australia's batting, is much inferior to India's own, especially in India. If we've our A-listers in, and firing, there is no hope in hell for Australia really. Last time they toured with Hayden and Hussey had not slided this far. This time all they have is a Katich who can be expected to hang around and Clarke, who hasn't exactly emulated his 2004 heroics. The rest all are unproven, or are out of nick or sliding into retirement including Hussey.

If they have to have any chance of making the series alive, Ponting and Hussey have to fire. Looking at recent history, it looks unlikely.

???

How much international cricket do you watch? Clarke is Australia's best test batsmen aws.

 

[Spark]

Like in 2004? We were horrible in 2008, but that was the nadir of our team following some big retirements. We're a much better unit than we were then. This is a much better team than the one that toured in 2008.

2008 was our worst team in 20 years. Definitely our nadir, it's a credit that we didn't keep sliding.

 

[Spark]

???

How much international cricket do you watch? Clarke is Australia's best test batsmen aws.

He means in India I assume. Clarke was solid without being fantastic in 2008 (as he was in 04)

 

[benchmark00]

He means in India I assume. Clarke was solid without being fantastic in 2008 (as he was in 04)

Clarke of 2010 is far better than Clarke of 2008. Forget about Hussey, he's the man in India.

 

[Spark]

Clarke of 2010 is far better than Clarke of 2008. Forget about Hussey, he's the man in India.

Clarke of 2008 was pretty good, his two next series (the home NZ/SA series) was where he really hammered down that he was a seriously, seriously good Test batsman.

Hussey... I feel that will come, as ever, to how well the Indians can hold a line outside off. If they can, he could be a problem.

But I agree. Clarke the key.

 

[honestbharani]

Why not?

We went touring SL with 4 of our best guys missing and our bowling attack resembling a A level team. And still we performed better than expectations against a batting lineup arguably inferior only to India's own batting in the subcontinent.

Australia's batting, is much inferior to India's own, especially in India. If we've our A-listers in, and firing, there is no hope in hell for Australia really. Last time they toured with Hayden and Hussey had not slided this far. This time all they have is a Katich who can be expected to hang around and Clarke, who hasn't exactly emulated his 2004 heroics. The rest all are unproven, or are out of nick or sliding into retirement including Hussey.

If they have to have any chance of making the series alive, Ponting and Hussey have to fire. Looking at recent history, it looks unlikely.

we are certainly not good enough to justify all this ****iness, SA.. Esp. if things happen during the CL... And don't bloody jinx us with all this..

 

[iamdavid]

Kinda miffed at them bringing Hazlewood over. I know he's a talent and they're trying to develop him etc, but he's the fourth best seamer in NSW (and that's being pretty generous). Is a series in India immediately preceeding the Ashes really the time to be looking way down the track.

 

[Shri]

Hughes will have a massive series imo. Ponting could surprise a few and play really well too.

 

[Sir Alex]

Like in 2004? We were horrible in 2008, but that was the nadir of our team following some big retirements. We're a much better unit than we were then. This is a much better team than the one that toured in 2008.

How do you say that? If anything Ponting and Hussey have gone only a notch down. Hayden has retired so has Lee. The remaining all have not exactly set the world on fire, and if they've they will find India completely diff to what they've been accustomed to so far.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hazelwood's selection an absolute joke tbh.

 

[aussie]

Johnson needs to be on the mark with his bowling very early. AUS can't afford for him to have a slow start to this series.