**Official** Australia in India Thread

[SJS]

Gee thats a first for someone to say that...

I felt he was something special even watching him in the one dayers. There is something cereberal about his game. He seems able to quicky judge the situation and play according to that as if he has been doing it for years !!

His confidence and maturity level are amazing for someone so new to international cricket. Add to that his skillful all round batting and you can see here is something very special indeed.

 

[Slow Love™]

http://aus.cricinfo.com/link_to_dat.../2004/OCT/081181_INDAUS2004-05_22OCT2004.html

^ Good news for everyone.

Bwahahaha.... Not so fast!

Ganguly convinces curator to shave pitch

Kishore Pradhan, the curator on Friday:

"I have got no instructions from either the BCCI or the Indian team management. Even if I do, I am not going to oblige them," he said, speaking to The Times of India. He said that he was acting according to a circular issued by the BCCI earlier in the year, which called for sporting wickets "that would have enough bounce so as to encourage quicker bowlers and also improve strokeplay of batsmen".

And yesterday:

Kishore Pradhan, the curator at the ground, said that Ganguly convinced him that a grassless pitch would give India a better chance.

"He explained to me the difference between the Indian and Australian teams and their respective strengths and weaknesses, as also the position of the series. And he requested me to shave off the grass one last time," said Pradhan.

 

[Bapu Rao Swami]

Let us salute Glen Donald McGraa for his 100th test appearance at VCA ground, Nagpur. He is one of the greatest fast bowlers the world has ever seen.

His relentless accuracy and discipline combined with aggression has made him a terror for every enemy camp. He has done well on the flat surfaces of West Indies and India which proves his versatility and underlines his supremacy.

He might not have the mystique of Warne or the pace of Lindwall, but he is Glen McGraa and that will put him in the pantheon of fast bowling greats.

Who can forget is aggressive 5/68 at Barbados in 1995? Who can forget his unforgettable 8/38 against England at Lord's? Who will forget his 10-wicket haul against West Indies in Trinidad in 1998-99 which blew away Windies for 51 all out. Who can forget his out of the world 10 wickets at a rate of 2 at Gabba in 2000-01 against Windies?

Can anyone forget his 300th wicket hatrick at Perth against the same opposition in the same series?

He bowls an annoying length, which can't be driven or cut. He tests the patience of the batsman to the hilt outside the offstump and invariably gets the snick. He has a very deceptive bouncer.

His biggest strength lies in the fact that he knocks over the best player from the opposition for a cheap score more often than not. Ask one Brian Lara who was made to look like just another batsman many times. He has knocked over Sachin 5 times.

Glen McGrath Take a bow! All the very best for a wonderful 100th test and many more to come

 

[Neil Pickup]

Who can forget his unforgettable 8/38 against England at Lord's?

Me, for one. I'm not making any effort to remember it, either.

 

[JASON]

The return of Sachin probably at the expense of Yuvraj, strengthens India's batting. (Hope SRT is fully recovered.)

Considering the performance of India in last test, I think India will do better at Nagpur. A close win to India, IMO . AA to star for India with the ball .

 

[Mister Wright]

The return of Sachin probably at the expense of Yuvraj, strengthens India's batting. (Hope SRT is fully recovered.)

Considering the performance of India in last test, I think India will do better at Nagpur. A close win to India, IMO . AA to star for India with the ball .

I read a report where Sachin would replace Kaif (still not recovered from injury) & Chopra would replace Youvraj. But, yes, it looks very likely that AA will play.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Let us salute Glen Donald McGraa for his 100th test appearance at VCA ground, Nagpur. He is one of the greatest fast bowlers the world has ever seen.

His relentless accuracy and discipline combined with aggression has made him a terror for every enemy camp. He has done well on the flat surfaces of West Indies and India which proves his versatility and underlines his supremacy.

He might not have the mystique of Warne or the pace of Lindwall, but he is Glen McGraa and that will put him in the pantheon of fast bowling greats.

Who can forget is aggressive 5/68 at Barbados in 1995? Who can forget his unforgettable 8/38 against England at Lord's? Who will forget his 10-wicket haul against West Indies in Trinidad in 1998-99 which blew away Windies for 51 all out. Who can forget his out of the world 10 wickets at a rate of 2 at Gabba in 2000-01 against Windies?

Can anyone forget his 300th wicket hatrick at Perth against the same opposition in the same series?

He bowls an annoying length, which can't be driven or cut. He tests the patience of the batsman to the hilt outside the offstump and invariably gets the snick. He has a very deceptive bouncer.

His biggest strength lies in the fact that he knocks over the best player from the opposition for a cheap score more often than not. Ask one Brian Lara who was made to look like just another batsman many times. He has knocked over Sachin 5 times.

Glen McGrath Take a bow! All the very best for a wonderful 100th test and many more to come

hear hear!

 

[SJS]

- Curator refuses to oblige Ganguly and listen to his exhortations to shave off the grass. Wicket still has grass though now straw coloured since watering stopped 48 hrs ago.

- Ganguly takes curator apart at his press meet saying "I asked him"..." but finally its upto him" and "looks like he hasnt done much work on it"

- Curator says "the skipper can say what he wants" , "I have made a good sporting wicket, even John Wright said so" and. "If the skipper is unhapy, I have nothing to say"

(all this not from press reports but heard from both horses' mouths on telly !!)

- So team India decided this is not the place to continue with the Yuvraj experiment (will they bring him back for a less sporting wicket ??)

- Chopra to open !!

- Kaif makes way for Sachin.

- Karthik might play if Harbhajan is still weak on account of viral fever !!!

COMMENTS :

1. Good to bring Sachin (a middle order bat) at the cost of another middle order bat (Kaif). This is how it should be.

2. Good to have a specialist opener .

3. Good not to make the keeper open and be unduly taxed.

BUT

4.Terrible to make an experiment for one test. Ganguly has to be answerable. If he thought Yuvraj had the makings of an opener, why drop him after one test only ! If it was a mere 'lets-just-try-this-on-for-a-change experiment' he (Ganguly) should be spanked for trying such stunts in the middle of a crucial test series with the first test lost !!

5. Understand, Gavaskar has a hand in insisting that opening is a specialised job .

Really ? Why not in the last test too. I can understand Gavaskar correcting a batsman's batting technical flaws but why does the skipper and the highly paid coach need 'outside' help to 'discover' universally known cricketing 'truism' !!

 

[masterblaster]

- Curator refuses to oblige Ganguly and listen to his exhortations to shave off the grass. Wicket still has grass though now straw coloured since watering stopped 48 hrs ago.

- Ganguly takes curator apart at his press meet saying "I asked him"..." but finally its upto him" and "looks like he hasnt done much work on it"

- Curator says "the skipper can say what he wants" , "I have made a good sporting wicket, even John Wright said so" and. "If the skipper is unhapy, I have nothing to say"

(all this not from press reports but heard from both horses' mouths on telly !!)

- So team India decided this is not the place to continue with the Yuvraj experiment (will they bring him back for a less sporting wicket ??)

- Chopra to open !!

- Kaif makes way for Sachin.

- Karthik might play if Harbhajan is still weak on account of viral fever !!!

COMMENTS :

1. Good to bring Sachin (a middle order bat) at the cost of another middle order bat (Kaif). This is how it should be.

2. Good to have a specialist opener .

3. Good not to make the keeper open and be unduly taxed.

BUT

4.Terrible to make an experiment for one test. Ganguly has to be answerable. If he thought Yuvraj had the makings of an opener, why drop him after one test only ! If it was a mere 'lets-just-try-this-on-for-a-change experiment' he (Ganguly) should be spanked for trying such stunts in the middle of a crucial test series with the first test lost !!

5. Understand, Gavaskar has a hand in insisting that opening is a specialised job .

Really ? Why not in the last test too. I can understand Gavaskar correcting a batsman's batting technical flaws but why does the skipper and the highly paid coach need 'outside' help to 'discover' universally known cricketing 'truth' !!

Hear hear!

If all of those reports you have written are true, then Indian Cricket is the winner regardless of the outcome of this match.

We need more sporty wickets if Indian Cricket is going to progress, and its good that the curator showed some 'guts'. I feel bad for Kaif, but its the only way to go I'm afraid.

 

[SJS]

Hear hear!

If all of those reports you have written are true, then Indian Cricket is the winner regardless of the outcome of this match.

We need more sporty wickets if Indian Cricket is going to progress, and its good that the curator showed some 'guts'. I feel bad for Kaif, but its the only way to go I'm afraid.

Yes and I forgot one more thing. Agarkar is playing in place of Irfan

 

[biased indian]

If all of those reports you have written are true, then Indian Cricket is the winner regardless of the outcome of this match.
We need more sporty wickets if Indian Cricket is going to progress, and its good that the curator showed some 'guts'.

if every country had the same kind of pitches in test matches the fun in touring will be lost.the test match pitches should be differrent in every country .its the first class pitch that has to be prepared with some grass and bounce as that will help indian team when we are touring abroad.and even though the bangalore and chennai pitches where assisting spin they where not real turners.

and ganguly should not have said the things that he talked with curator to media

 

[masterblaster]

Yes and I forgot one more thing. Agarkar is playing in place of Irfan

Wise move that one. Hopefully we wont see the 'dynamic duo' of Zaheer and Nehra bowling to Australia in tandem.

*shudders*

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Well, not only is Agarkar in for Pathan, but Ganguly, Yuvraj and Harbhajan are all out as well, for Tendulkar, Chopra and Kartik.

 

[biased indian]

1) Captain out with injury a new captain

2)Three players missing the game due to injury(pathan,bajji,sourav)

3) even though he is tendulkar,has not played a game for more than 2 months

4) lost the toss for the third match in a row.

5)P.Patel has already fumbeld a ball in the first over

6)lot of grass on the pitch

With all these positives if we are only 1-0 and the end of this match i will be a happy man

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

As a side note: when this Australian first innings reached 0/14, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden became the second highest scoring opening pair in test history, reaching 3807 runs at an average of 61.40. The only pair in front of them is Greenidge and Haynes from the West Indies, who scored an amazing 6482 runs at an average of 47.31, albeit in 148 innings compared to 64 for Langer and Hayden.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

India in trouble already, Langer and Hayden just got 14 off an Agarkar over, and it's now 0-61 after the first hour without Harbhajan or the promise of a great deal of reverse swing to come. Kumble is going to have to bowl brilliantly again.

 

[JustTool]

-

BUT

4.Terrible to make an experiment for one test. Ganguly has to be answerable. If he thought Yuvraj had the makings of an opener, why drop him after one test only ! If it was a mere 'lets-just-try-this-on-for-a-change experiment' he (Ganguly) should be spanked for trying such stunts in the middle of a crucial test series with the first test lost !!

5. Understand, Gavaskar has a hand in insisting that opening is a specialised job .

Really ? Why not in the last test too. I can understand Gavaskar correcting a batsman's batting technical flaws but why does the skipper and the highly paid coach need 'outside' help to 'discover' universally known cricketing 'truism' !!

Good post. I too would like to see Ganguly severely spanked for his inexplicable brain-farts
1) Yuvraj as an opener. Helped shatter Chopra's confidence.
2) Parthiv (what does he have to do to be dropped and what does Kaartik have to do to be picked ?)
3) He has never given Murali a proper bowl or shown confidence. Hopefully Dravid can at least give him a fair chance.
The Indian batting is only stronger because Ganguly is not playing.

 

[masterblaster]

1) Captain out with injury a new captain

2)Three players missing the game due to injury(pathan,bajji,sourav)

3) even though he is tendulkar,has not played a game for more than 2 months

4) lost the toss for the third match in a row.

5)P.Patel has already fumbeld a ball in the first over

6)lot of grass on the pitch

With all these positives if we are only 1-0 and the end of this match i will be a happy man

1. I rather have Kaif in this middle order than Ganguly who has been in absolutely dreadful form. A less than 100% Ganguly is a pure liability to this Indian side. Dravid makes a very fine captain, he's respected and has a greater strategic/tactical mind than Sourav Ganguly has.

2. Pathan and Harbhajan will be big blows no doubt about it, Ganguly won't be as big a blow as the others.

3. Don't forget, Tendulkar has played cricket for the last 15 years, and has appeared for India in International Cricket more than 400 times combined in Test and ODI Cricket. He's an experienced man, and will get into his stride quicker than others.

4. Whatever you do, do it well, if India has lost the toss, they need to bowl well and disciplined, simple as that. Who knows on this grassy pitch, India could've been 2/45 at lunch with Tendulkar and Dravid at the crease against a hungry Glen McGrath and Jason Gillespie.

5. He's fumbled a few, but his footwork has looked slightly better in this match, lets see how he goes.

6. It's a very sporting wicket, and for an International Cricket team there should be no excuses. If India are to be number 2 in the world, they need to prove that they can beat anybody on any sort of track. These guys are professional atheletes, and they should believe that they can beat any opposition on any sort of pitch. The pitch all in all shouldn't matter as much. The best thing about this pitch is that its a 'result pitch' with help in it for everyone and its certainly better for India then the disgrace put up in Bangalore.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Hayden gone. Great bowling from Zaheer Khan.

 

[JustTool]

Looks like both openers have ridden their luck well...other than balls not carrying or catches flying between fielders, Langer was very much lbw to Kumble and then Zaheer....Of course, Parthiv is trying to outdo his Chennai Test performance in terms of fumbles, lack of confidence and byes. What a bloody embarrassment !