**Official** Australia in India Thread

[Hoggy31]

OUT!, Katich caught at slip by Dravid of the bowling of Harbhajan

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

You really think that a test that is over in a little over 2 days play is good?

I think this test is excellent, yes. It has a great atmosphere, it's tense and every run is an achievement. I don't think every test should be like this, but the best test cricket I have watched has been on bowler friendly pitches, and this is great test cricket.

 

[Mister Wright]

Katich gone...enter Clarke.

 

[Hoggy31]

very very interesting now, i think the game has now swung the way off the indians.

 

[Slow Love™]

Whoo, Hayden has nerves of steel, down the track to Kartik and Harbhajan in these conditions... Living a little dangerously. Being anchored in your crease is probably just as risky with so much turn about though.

The run-rate right now is around 4.5. I don't think they have to maintain that, but around 3.5 would be a decent target. Wickets are likely to fall regularly, so we need to keep the rate up. It sounds like Dravid's starting to crowd the bat, so there may be a few boundaries on offer.

Aargh, Katich out.

 

[Eclipse]

wow this pitch is freaking unplayable.

 

[Dydl]

The Australian's have a shorter tail compared to the Indian's.


Also, most of the Aussie tail are ok batsmen.

 

[Jnr.]

The Indian tail has wagged more than the Aussie tail.

 

[Slow Love™]

It should be said that this test acts as an advertisement for those people who only think batting wickets are "good", this is truly magnificent test cricket.

I don't think every pitch should be a crumbling minefield, but a balance should be found between this and the 4-600 declared drivel we've been seeing a great deal lately, particularly in the recent Indian tours of Australia and Pakistan, and the New Zealand tour of India.

I'm totally with you on the high-scoring pitches - they're killing test cricket. But while this game is exciting, the pitch is just too poor. Games that finish this fast should be because of one side dominating, not a nail-biter like this.

It has the effect of making mediocre bowlers look like world-beaters, and makes world-beating batsmen look mediocre.

 

[Dydl]

McGrath can knock up some runs. Like in the 1st innings where he was not out.

Kasprowicz also demonstrated 19 runs or so.

Don't know much about Hauritz, though. Gillespie has proved his skills with the bat.

 

[telsor]

I'm totally with you on the high-scoring pitches - they're killing test cricket. But while this game is exciting, the pitch is just too poor. Games that finish this fast should be because of one side dominating, not a nail-biter like this.

It has the effect of making mediocre bowlers look like world-beaters, and makes world-beating batsmen look mediocre.

Exactly. Pitches like this take the skill out of the game.

 

[Deja moo]

Exactly. Pitches like this take the skill out of the game.

Nope .

See Gavaskars last ever innings.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Exactly. Pitches like this take the skill out of the game.

The flat wickets that are widely praised do the opposite. Talented bowlers look hopeless and pathetic batsman can stay in forever.

The difference is, flat pitches don't even offer entertaining constests, just long pointless draws. Minefields might be short and make it hard for the batsmen, but they also provide exciting contests that are wonderful to watch. Offer me this or the Sydney pitch from the Indian tour of Australia and I'd take this any day.

 

[Mister Wright]

Hayden bowled, and the crowd go wild.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

5 down for Australia now. Enter Gilchrist with the pressure on.

 

[Hoggy31]

McGrath can knock up some runs. Like in the 1st innings where he was not out.

Kasprowicz also demonstrated 19 runs or so.

Don't know much about Hauritz, though. Gillespie has proved his skills with the bat.

Hauritz is pretty handy with the bat, he made 90 odd against WA last year

 

[Slow Love™]

Offer me this or the Sydney pitch from the Indian tour of Australia and I'd take this any day.

I would too, but it's a choice between two evils. Pitches like this just act as evener-uppers in terms of the relative skills of the combatants. Kinda like Aussie Rules football in a downpour.

I've been complaining about the bat-friendly pitches in recent times for about a year and a half now, but surely we can come up with a better balance than this.

Yikes, Hayden out - real trouble for the Aussies now. I don't know that they can pull this off.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Clarke gone. It must be said that things look very bad for Australia now.

Got to be Gillespie with Gilchrist.

 

[Sehwag309]

48-6

Clarke Bowled with an Arm ball

 

[Eclipse]

look's like we are going to lose 6/48..