**Official** Australia in India Thread

[Mister Wright]

Interesting poser coming-up for Gilchrist, this one.
Does he enforce the follow-on? All cricketing logic says yes: Australia are looking like being in the field for 55-60 overs absolute tops here.
How much precedent will be afforded to one total freak Test-match 42 months ago, I wonder?

Not really a poser. The only realistic way India can win this one is if both Patel and Pathan have a 300+ run partnership of India score big following on. I think it would be better for Australia to bat while the wicket is still good. Then have India chase when it is at its worst.

 

[Arjun]

I agree about Dinesh Karthik, but I also think that he's not the wicket keeping saviour India is looking for. If Parthiv fails repeatedly, it hurts the team and goes a long way in letting Australia win back this Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

I personally hope that Parthiv improves, rather than fails. He has the tools to succeed at this form of the game, but he needs to fine tune these skills. I never really want any player to fail, as it takes a lot of hard work, heart and courage to make it to International Cricket.

Good luck to Parthiv.

Why can't Irfan Pathan get as many chances as a late-order batsman? He is a big hitter, his basics as a batsman are good, and so is his temperament. He started off decently for a number 9, but batting at number 9 for so long has done his extra skill no good. If the captain had as much faith in Pathan as he has in Parthiv, the Indians would have an effective number 7. If Pathan gets runs, and more than the 10 or 15 he usually gets, it would help the team a lot more than it would if Parthiv got those runs, since Pathan is a quick scorer. Had the captain been Marvan, Vaughan or Fleming or especially Martin Crowe, Pathan would have got more chances- and runs.

Dinesh is the wicket-keeping saviour for one reason- he gets the job done behind the stumps- cleanly. That's something you have to have in all 11 players, be it the bowler, keeper, or any of the other 9 on the field. If any chances are missed, it can cost the team dearly. One just needs to remember Herschelle Gibbs- he did drop the World Cup. This is why a good wicketkeeper is such an important player in a team. Parthiv may not play any role in winning the trophy, since he's not one who can dominate proceedings. If the kid has to improve his wicketkeeping, he has to do it in domestic/A-team cricket, not in international cricket, when the cause of the team is important.

 

[Arjun]

yeah ..the closer India get to 200 behind the less likely Australia will enforce the follow on I think. If Australia enforce the followon with a lead of say 210 or so,it might only take a session and a half of good batting by India to actually get on top again (with Australia having to bat last).

At this stage, running between wickets, rotating the strike and building partnerships is most important to stay in the match. Sehwag and Ganguly should take note.

 

[masterblaster]

At this stage, running between wickets, rotating the strike and building partnerships is most important to stay in the match. Sehwag and Ganguly should take note.

They were the ones who actually built a decent partnership. The other batsmen should take note!

 

[Arjun]

They were the ones who actually built a decent partnership. The other batsmen should take note!

Chopra made a mistake of not offering a shot, and so did Dravid.

Sehwag and Ganguly made a partnership, but the running was not clean. Ganguly stayed rooted a little too often, and even dropped the bat into the crease, which no Australian would have done. Both got out playing soft shots. Sadly, so did Yuvraj.

Laxman did what he could, but ended up getting a ripper from Warne.

 

[masterblaster]

The Indian batting has come undone due to some poor quality batting once again. I think its getting to a point where people are really overrating this Indian lineup. Agreed Dravid had a bad day, but guys like Yuvraj and Sehwag are resting on their past successes. Yuvraj especially, as Sehwag was going quite well today.

We're in urgent need of some competition in our batting, and Yuvraj cannot be guaranteed of a slot in this test side all the time if a senior player is missing. Mohammad Kaif would've done a much better job with the current form he's in, and perhaps even a guy like Badani or Sriram.

 

[Arjun]

Mohammad Kaif would've done a much better job with the current form he's in, and perhaps even a guy like Badani or Sriram.

Not Badani, since he has been given ample chances, but has played negatively under pressure, and he's played a nothing shot once too often. Agreed about Kaif and Sriram.

Yuvraj cannot be guaranteed of a slot in this test side all the time if a senior player is missing.

That is really sad. He can destroy a bowling attack and put his team in a commanding position in a match, but he is not going to do much if he continues batting this way.

 

[pskov]

As per every series in the last 42 months.
What's Laxman's average since Kolkata 2001, now, I wonder. Haven't checked for a while.

Laxman's average over the last 33 test matches (i.e. since Kolkata 2001) is 60.40

 

[Arjun]

The Indian bowlers put their team into this mess, and they should get them out of it, if there is no follow-on.

QUESTION: How do you bowl to Michael Clarke?

 

[Linda]

That was bloody magical today. Im so glad I witnessed Clarke's century, I'll remember that for a long time. His feet were so quick.
Was a bit shocked when I saw the score after getting home from work. Especially where the wickets are coming from... !

 

[Mr Casson]

Because it'll mean one innings from a clearly hugely inferior player has cancelled-out, what, the whole last 18 months? Something like that.

Did you watch him Richard? Obviously you didn't. What Clarke played was an absolutely magnificent innings; it was even emotionally moving at times. All you are doing is showing me that you didn't watch it.

Clearly hugely inferior players do not hit big-hundreds on debut against a side that has had some success against their side recently, and they don't decimate bowlers with 400 wickets, and they barely even get off the mark when the whole team is surrounding the bat, and they don't bat faultlessly to 92 before even getting what might be luck, and they don't dig their teams out from precarious positions, they don't feature in 2 successive century partnerships.

And if you want to talk about inferior, how about what Darren Lehmann did? Oh, that was woeful! Lehmann came out playing like a 10-year-old.

So given what we've seen based on their comparitive performances, Lehmann should feel at least a little bit uneasy about his spot. I'm not saying he should go, but if he wants to play like he did, there's a perfectly good batsman who is waiting to jump all over his spot.

Clarke's innings smacked of class, Richard. And "clearly hugely inferior" players don't have any class.

And don't even think about responding with 12 posts or quoting my whole damn post, because you have so little credibility as far as I'm concerned that I won't even read it.

 

[Bapu Rao Swami]

Clinical, suave, serene, assertive yet not over the top. Australia has once again proven that the Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bangalore is their happy hunting ground. Clarke has played very well and with Gilly at the other end gave the Aussies a much needed kickstart while simultaneously anchoring the innings. What a debut this has bin for the lad nicknamed Eminem!

But lets us not get carried away, this is only day 2 , its never over until its over..i.e. day 5 stumps!

Like I had said earlier, India's main problem wouldn't be Warne but the pace battery of Gillespie, Mcgraa & Kaspa! thats one helluva bowling lineup!

This pitch will most likely turn into a dustbowl in the last days, will be interesting to see whether Gilchrist enforces the follow on or prefers to bowl last on this pitch.

India on the other hand is simply depleted, when you don't have whom many call the best since Bradman playing for you, you are depleted but I ain't complaining...the Aussies were depleted in January.

Comeon India another 124 runs to avoid follow on.

Kumble like cricinfo stats once suggested is amongst the most expensive bowlers to have 350+ wkts, he needs to give away fewer runs.

 

[Arjun]

Kumble like cricinfo stats once suggested is amongst the most expensive bowlers to have 350+ wkts, he needs to give away fewer runs.

He is at his best when he is attacking, with an attacking field to support him. He never had it away from home. One thing is certain, his wicket-to-match ratio is quite good.

 

[aussie_beater]

This series is starting almost in the same fashion as the last one in 2001. Australia steamroll India in the first test, with centuries from Gilchrist and a certain unknown player...it was Hayden in 2001, its Clarke in 2004.

Very poor batting from the Indian team. Dravid had a bad day, but the other top order batsman shouldn't have caved in like this. It will be almost impossible for India to save this match from here.

 

[Arjun]

IF the Australians had scored just 320 or 340, would the Indians have batted better? And would this batting non-performance look better?

 

[Mr Casson]

Dravid had a bad day

I'll give you an excuse and say that was a ripper ball mate!! Vintage McGrath. Give him enough space between bat and pad for a ball to creep in between and watch it whoosh through.

 

[Mr Casson]

IF the Australians had scored just 320 or 340, would the Indians have batted better? And would this batting non-performance look better?

Bad luck mate, Clarkey caned you. Watch out for him, he's going to cause a lot more trouble for India in particular in years to come.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

 

[Arjun]

Maybe Yuvraj and Kaif (if he plays) can draw some inspiration...

 

[Arjun]

Bad luck mate, Clarkey caned you. Watch out for him, he's going to cause a lot more trouble for India in particular in years to come.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

My question is still not answered...

 

[Mr Casson]

Well in that case... Yes, the non-performance would have looked better, but who knows about whether they would have actually performed better.

You do realize that you can't actually have both those scenarios, don't you?