***Official*** Australia in India 2017

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Sadly had to miss most of the play after the first hour. But dayum what an hour of Test cricket!

Today is Huuuuuuuuuge! Starceh bops some zacks and Indian heads will go down faster than $2 whore. But we could easily lose 4 for 2 on this deck and India will feel right back in it.

Basically that's the game. Keep India wondering 'how the **** did we get here?' If we give them a sniff they could turn it around in a session. Keep the foot on the throat and we will give 4-0 a shake.




And as myself and others have said plenty of times - Renshaw (y) WAFG!

 

[GotSpin]

A couple maximums from stork and I'll be boned up like a Pakistani marquee

 

[Malleeboy]

Renshaw is the new Bill Lawry....

 

[stephen]

Renshaw IMO is now Australia's seconds biggest wicket, behind Smith. Warner is the one everyone talks about because he has the ability to take the game away from you in a session but Renshaw is the one ensuring your bowlers are working way too hard for their wickets so the middle order can come in and dominate a tired attack. He's been Australia's best bat in this series so far despite playing the first game while completely sick.

We have not won this game yet. A 50 run lead is good but still gives India a sniff. 100 runs would put it heavily in our favour. 150 would be insurmountable.

This series has been a cracker so far, in spite of the utterly awful pitches. This one is even more deserving of a poor rating than the last one, difficult as that is to believe.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Renshaw IMO is now Australia's seconds biggest wicket, behind Smith. Warner is the one everyone talks about because he has the ability to take the game away from you in a session but Renshaw is the one ensuring your bowlers are working way too hard for their wickets so the middle order can come in and dominate a tired attack. He's been Australia's best bat in this series so far despite playing the first game while completely sick.

We have not won this game yet. A 50 run lead is good but still gives India a sniff. 100 runs would put it heavily in our favour. 150 would be insurmountable.

This series has been a cracker so far, in spite of the utterly awful pitches. This one is even more deserving of a poor rating than the last one, difficult as that is to believe.

In some ways India are actually really lucky that Australia have been on top so far this series, because I guarantee you if Aus had been losing and the wickets were like this, the backlash would not be pretty

 

[Burgey]

Has there been a more compelling, hard fought day's play in test cricket in recent times than yesterday? I struggle to think of one tbh, where both sides fought so hard and refused to give an inch to the other. India's bowling in the first session was brilliant. It was one of those sessions where you thought there would be a collapse at any time, but there wasn't. It was also one of those bowling performances you sometimes see where you expect a team to reap the rewards of their early work later in the day. It was only ball-breaking hard work and determination which kept them from running amok yesterday. I reckon it's about the most dogged effort I've seen from an Australian side since the days of TOTAB as skipper. FMD it was a brilliant day's play.

Australia on top, but India isn't out of it totally. If they roll the last four wickets cheaply this morning then pass the lead no more than one down, they're probably back on top. It would only take one partnership for them to then be well in front in the match. I don't fancy Australia chasing over 100 on this pitch batting last. Goes without saying that if Australia's lead gets to over 100 it'll be really tough for India to win or draw the match (weather aside). Id it gets up to 130 or more I think the game is realistically done.

 

[Prince EWS]

Has there been a more compelling, hard fought day's play in test cricket in recent times than yesterday? I struggle to think of one tbh, where both sides fought so hard and refused to give an inch to the other. India's bowling in the first session was brilliant. It was one of those sessions where you thought there would be a collapse at any time, but there wasn't

Surprised you weren't watching Parra instead at that point, tbh.

 

[Burgey]

The juggernaut has stirred, babeh. Was never in doubt!

 

[morgieb]

The juggernaut has stirred, babeh. Was never in doubt!

Now which way will the juggernaut let you down this time?

 

[bigmitch]

thoughts on handscomb atm...?
useful contributions in pune, but while his technique hasnt exactly failed him, his mindset and shot selection has led to pretty average and soft dismissals.

they won't drop him but will be interesting to see what he does in the rest of the series, not much has been said abt his batting at all. a determined 50 or so to seal the series in the 3rd or 4th test would hold him in really good stead.

 

[Burgey]

Now which way will the juggernaut let you down this time?

Will be happy if it's simple on-field shittery this year tbh. At least it's simple to follow that way.

 

[vitalogy83]

thoughts on handscomb atm...?
useful contributions in pune, but while his technique hasnt exactly failed him, his mindset and shot selection has led to pretty average and soft dismissals.

they won't drop him but will be interesting to see what he does in the rest of the series, not much has been said abt his batting at all. a determined 50 or so to seal the series in the 3rd or 4th test would hold him in really good stead.

I think it has generally been ok. He's looking to stay busy which is his style but maybe some of the shots were a little iffy. But I don't think he needs to change anything just yet. His is the sort of innings that could actually break games like this with a quickish 50-60 when the team is getting bogged down.

 

[Compton]

Handscomb is doing just fine.

He hasn't scored as many runs as he'd like, but he's new to test cricket and to the subcontinent; and the pitches haven't exactly been something he'd have played on before.

 

[stephen]

Yeah Handscomb is underperforming but should be persisted with. He has the potential to go big (particularly if we play on a road at some point this series).

 

[bigmitch]

The only thing that could make this match, and series, better is starc getting serious reverse swing and low bounce, running through them with 4 or 5 quick ones as they try to set up our chase. Spinners have got the Lyon's share of the wickets so far but SL will be fresh in his mind.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Has there been a more compelling, hard fought day's play in test cricket in recent times than yesterday? I struggle to think of one tbh, where both sides fought so hard and refused to give an inch to the other. India's bowling in the first session was brilliant. It was one of those sessions where you thought there would be a collapse at any time, but there wasn't. It was also one of those bowling performances you sometimes see where you expect a team to reap the rewards of their early work later in the day. It was only ball-breaking hard work and determination which kept them from running amok yesterday. I reckon it's about the most dogged effort I've seen from an Australian side since the days of TOTAB as skipper. FMD it was a brilliant day's play.

Australia on top, but India isn't out of it totally. If they roll the last four wickets cheaply this morning then pass the lead no more than one down, they're probably back on top. It would only take one partnership for them to then be well in front in the match. I don't fancy Australia chasing over 100 on this pitch batting last. Goes without saying that if Australia's lead gets to over 100 it'll be really tough for India to win or draw the match (weather aside). Id it gets up to 130 or more I think the game is realistically done.

Yes Australia have had some comedy double digit innings in recent times. Australia should be significant favourites, but whatever they score so can India. Australia chasing anything non-trivial has the capacity to go badly **** up.

It would be interesting to try and figure out what would be a 50/50 score for Australia to chase. I suspect it would be a little under 200. Batting like Australia have done a second time with a target there will really crank up the pressure. Doing it when India only have 189 on the board is a lot easier.

 

[stephen]

Honestly anything over 150 in the final innings on this deck will be very hard to chase. Particularly if India bowl with the intensity they did yesterday.

I think a further 25 runs from Australia and the odds are even. Anything less and I think India are marginal favorites. 50 runs or more today will see Australia as favourites.

It's been a gladiatorial battle so far this test and I for one have enjoyed following it. The pitch should rightly be given a poor rating by the match referee. Hopefully the next two pitches are more road-like than these two (though I don't want a highway, just something that let's good batsmen do well).

I think now that both teams have (mostly) batted, Rahul's innings on day one looks better and better. I can't believe people were calling for him to be dropped after the first test.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yes Australia have had some comedy double digit innings in recent times. Australia should be significant favourites, but whatever they score so can India. Australia chasing anything non-trivial has the capacity to go badly **** up.

It would be interesting to try and figure out what would be a 50/50 score for Australia to chase. I suspect it would be a little under 200. Batting like Australia have done a second time with a target there will really crank up the pressure. Doing it when India only have 189 on the board is a lot easier.

Target of 200 and Aus are no chance. 50/50 score would be about 110-120

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Totally, but if there's a partnership first session today for Australia it's going to make India have to bat well

 

[quincywagstaff]

As expected the pay-TV ratings for this match have been fantastic. For yesterday’s play they were in the 250-260k range and that was against a lot of strong competition from returning Rugby League, AFL and a major racing event in SA. In comparison for the 2013 tour the ratings were in the 150-160k range.

And just an anecdotal example of how this series has captured the Oz public’s imagination, I heard veteran AFL journo Mike Sheahan on radio this morning say that he’s barely watched Test cricket in the past few decades but said this series has been totally gripping and the best cricket he’s watched.