***Official*** Australia in India 2017

[Shri]

I do have the ability to say different things in different posts. Weird I know.

Its a feature, not a bug!

 

[TheJediBrah]

Since 05, all of the Ashes have been a thrashing one way or the other. Even if they have been entertaining. I'm glad I got to see Johnson terrifying English batsmen like that (before the events of '14).

heh? 2009 was pretty close. Australia were actually the better team but couldn't grab the "big moments". 2013 was closer than a scoreline of 3-0 suggests, there was only one thrashing that series (I think) and the 2 draws (rain affected?) happened to be when Australia played better. 2015 had a scoreline of 3-2, which while not numerically a "thrashing" was probably the most one-sided of all the English ashes series since 2005, counter-intuitive though it may seem.

All the Australian ashes have clearly been one-sided though. Two 5-0s and the 3-1 to England in 2010/11 pretty hard to argue against.

 

[Spark]

heh? 2009 was pretty close. Australia were actually the better team but couldn't grab the "big moments". 2013 was closer than a scoreline of 3-0 suggests, there was only one thrashing that series (I think) and the 2 draws (rain affected?) happened to be when Australia played better. 2015 had a scoreline of 3-2, which while not numerically a "thrashing" was probably the most one-sided of all the English ashes series since 2005, counter-intuitive though it may seem.

All the Australian ashes have clearly been one-sided though. Two 5-0s and the 3-1 to England in 2010/11 pretty hard to argue against.

Hmm, did Australia really play better at Edgbaston in 2009? I think England were in control of most of that match, though in the end it was a very comfortable draw.

 

[S.Kennedy]

The last good Ashes was 2009, albeit the umpiring was dreadful. 2005 was an absolute masterpiece and up there with the first Worrell Trophy of the early '60s as one of the greatest test series of all time. The rest of the recent Ashes have all been too one-sided to be great series although they all have their nationalistic appeal if that is what you enjoy masturbating to (e.g. 2010/11 for Englishmen, the two whitewashes for Aussies). This series in India is up there. I probably wouldn't rank it up there with the '05 Ashes but it is not far behind.

 

[Spark]

I think 2009 was actually the worst series of the last few in terms of the quality of cricket, both teams played some fairly awful cricket and Australia just happened to be more rubbish at the wrong moments.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Hmm, did Australia really play better at Edgbaston in 2009? I think England were in control of most of that match, though in the end it was a very comfortable draw.

no idea. They certainly did in the first Test in Cardiff though. Were one wicket away from an innings victory.

The other weird thing about this last Test is that it's possibly the first time in my life (that I can recall at least) where a Draw has been a positive result for Aus. In every other Test match draw Australia has played in, from what I remember, has been a failure because Australia were on top and deserved to win. It's a nice change tbh.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I think 2009 was actually the worst series of the last few in terms of the quality of cricket, both teams played some fairly awful cricket and Australia just happened to be more rubbish at the wrong moments.

2013 was poor. 2015 was poor for batting. At least 2009 had some close edge of the seat moments like Jimmy and Monty''s blockathon.

 

[adub]

no idea. They certainly did in the first Test in Cardiff though. Were one wicket away from an innings victory.

The other weird thing about this last Test is that it's possibly the first time in my life (that I can recall at least) where a Draw has been a positive result for Aus. In every other Test match draw Australia has played in, from what I remember, has been a failure because Australia were on top and deserved to win. It's a nice change tbh.

People who say it was one of the die hard Test fans are right. I can easily see how people who aren't connoisseurs would be bored.

But it was a super draw. Mainly because both sides had periods of being on top, but lost the advantage due to the opposition stepping up. Even the last day when only two results were possible still had the drama that great Test cricket can bring because one more wicket after lunch would probably have got India the win. But Marsh and Handscomb stepped up as Pujara and Saha had and as Smith and Maxwell had.

I hope the next test is a bit spicier than this one, but it was no where near a bad pitch and a result was a serious possibility up until the last hour. Test cricket needs games like this every now and again. Australia certainly did.

 

[Victor Ian]

You just posted on a cricket related forum. That pretty much makes you die-hard by definition. I think you had to have at least enough understanding as to why the sides were batting as they were to make this test interesting.

We have already seen the casual cricket fan posting about how this was a boring draw and that India cost themselves the chance to win by batting so slowly

Fair enough - maybe there is some die hard in me.

The casual cricket fan has twenty20. Test cricket doesn't need to change to get the fans. The fans need to change to get test cricket.

 

[Black_Warrior]

isn't he a poor man's son #ianchappell

"Being from the village is not the same as being a poor man" - Ian Chappell

 

[quincywagstaff]

On its own, I don't think this pitch was a great one. But in the context of a series where there had already been two heavily bowler-friendly pitches, I was fine with it.

That's been the problem with Australian pitches in recent years; as a whole they used to be known for being diverse and offering something to everybody but they're now largely one homogeneous blur.

 

[Tom Flint]

no idea. They certainly did in the first Test in Cardiff though. Were one wicket away from an innings victory.

The other weird thing about this last Test is that it's possibly the first time in my life (that I can recall at least) where a Draw has been a positive result for Aus. In every other Test match draw Australia has played in, from what I remember, has been a failure because Australia were on top and deserved to win. It's a nice change tbh.

If you cant get monty panesar out in a 5th day blockathon you cannot claim to have played the better cricket

 

[Daemon]

If you cant get monty panesar out in a 5th day blockathon you cannot claim to have played the better cricket

If you're relying on Monty to save your bum with the bat so you don't lose by an innings, you have clearly played inferior cricket

 

[Tom Flint]

I would rather draw a test with monty blocking out draw for us.
Than draw a test having failed to get monty out.

 

[burr]

Where does this series rank as a spectacle for everyone?

I have a terrible memory but it feels like this series has had the same ebb and flow and drama that the 05 Ashes had...is it the best in terms of the cricket/ drama since that?

It's been special because the teams have fought tooth and nail session by session. Usually one team gets on top and runs away with it. I found this draw compelling although you definitely wouldn't want pitches like this served up constantly.

 

[Spark]

I would rather draw a test with monty blocking out draw for us.
Than draw a test having failed to get monty out.

if you're saying England played better cricket in that test then frankly your definition of better needs work

 

[Tom Flint]

Lol i can just imagine the chirping monty got from the aussies knowing they had more than 10 overs to get him out.
??what a day that was!

 

[Tom Flint]

if you're saying England played better cricket in that test then frankly your definition of better needs work

Im saying i would much rather had been in englands shoes at the end of that test.
And australia didnt deserve to win at all as they couldn't break a 69 ball tenth wicket partnership. With one of the wickets being just about the worst batsmen ive ever seen

 

[Burgey]

Not one Australian player left from 2009 unless I'm mistaken. Hell of a turnover of players this decade for us.

 

[Spikey]

look how wrong that guy is, he's a regular Virat Kohli