**Official** Australia in India Thread

[Arjun]

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?

Obviously, but they would have been under a lot less pressure. In fact, everyone blames the batsmen, but why are the bowlers off the hook?

 

[Mr Casson]

Pressure?

Heat, kitchen...

India had Australia under pressure at 4 wickets down. Australia dealt with the pressure. India didn't; that's why they're being dominated.

 

[Richard]

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.

Suit yourself - someone else might.
In my view it is quite insane if you're willing to base more on this single innings, just because it was the most recent and the favoured player is a youngster, rather than the fact that Lehmann has gone just about everywhere and conquered some of the hardest conditions you can ask a modern cricketer to play in, relative to Clarke who has achieved next-to-nothing in a shortish career to date; he's not even been good enough to average 40 on the flat decks in Australia. Lehmann, meanwhile, has averaged in the early 50s on them and higher still on the far tougher wickets of Headingley.
And no, of course I didn't watch the 2 days - not that I'd especially want to.
I really hope Clarke gets torn to pieces in the rest of the series, just for the sheer overhype of a player whose achievements are moderate before this single innings.

 

[Arjun]

If the Indians have to improve their chances of taking wickets for less, the bowlers they have to depend on are Kumble and Harbhajan. Their 8 wickets may have gone for 37, but better than the 'pacers', going at 62. Sehwag should have been brought back.

 

[Mr Casson]

I'm not basing it on the fact that he scored 151 and will therefore do it for the rest of his career. I'm basing it on the qualities that I, and other people who actually watched it, saw in Clarke. So if you didn't watch it then be quiet; you have no useful input.

 

[Richard]

Haha, that's two good ones. If you've watched it, and have clear spontaneous favour to attach to the innings, you're more qualified to judge than somoene who has none. Yeah, right.
And he "will" do it for the rest of his career, will he? We'll see about that one.

 

[Mister Wright]

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.

As much as it pains me to say, I have to agree with Casso here. Clarke's innings did ooze class, however, 1 innings does not make a career. We have seen from him in the past where he can look brilliant one innings and then look like a junior cricketer the next. The problem for him will be turning in consistent performances this summer. Although he won't get many opportunities because he will be with the one day team, and I think he will be worse off for his test career, and could possibly be in a Michael Bevan situation.

But, from what I saw he has what it takes, but he did play some streaky shots and with more experience will fine-tune his game.

However, after saying all that he still shouldn't have been selected ahead of other players who have toiled for years on the Australian domestic circuit.

 

[Jono]

I'm just so disappointed in India's effort today. At the end of the day I reckon it was only 60-40 in Australia's favour, but Gilly and later Clarke when Gilly went out just blew India away. And the batting, that's just shocking.

 

[Richard]

I'm pretty willing to stick my neck on the line and say the batting will sort itself out before too long.
We've seen India's batting apparently in crisis so many times - every time they come good in the end.
They'll surely lose this match now but the series will still be very much open.

 

[Mister Wright]

I'm just so disappointed in India's effort today. At the end of the day I reckon it was only 60-40 in Australia's favour, but Gilly and later Clarke when Gilly went out just blew India away. And the batting, that's just shocking.

60-40? Are you kidding. Perhaps if India were 1-150, but not 6 down. I would say it is more like Australia 90-10.

I wouldn't be getting too down if I were an Indian supporter. Just go back to 2001 India was beaten in close to 3 days, then were almost out of it and it took a super-human effort to get it back in the 2nd match, then again to win the 3rd.

India can take a few positives from the match - Tendulkar is to come back, Pathan & Turbonator are bowling well. Laxman looks in good touch, Patel seems to be keeping quite well.

Australia got lucky with Clarke, their luck will run out. India just have to make sure they can lay the big punches when Australia go a little off.

 

[Mr Casson]

And he "will" do it for the rest of his career, will he? We'll see about that one.

Take more time to read and gauge the tone of the comment, Richard.

 

[aussie_beater]

If the Indians have to improve their chances of taking wickets for less, the bowlers they have to depend on are Kumble and Harbhajan. Their 8 wickets may have gone for 37, but better than the 'pacers', going at 62. Sehwag should have been brought back.

Sehwag got caned when he was given the ball on day one. Look Indian bowlers did apply enough pressure on day one, and did a decent job till the last hour when Gilchrist and Clarke started to open up.After that they were always under pressure because of the attacking batting of Clarke and Gilly...all credit to them.They played magnificently and smartly.The wicket did not have any great demons in particular if you can break the rhythm of the bowlers and the pitch is not yet behaving the way the Aussie press painted it a few days ago.

Actually the Indian batting started off badly with Chopra and Dravid getting out, but was doing fairly well till Kasprowicz came in and triggered the collapse.Someone had to dig in at that point, but with Dravid gone there was no one who could be the 'wall' anymore.

 

[Linda]

60-40? Are you kidding. Perhaps if India were 1-150, but not 6 down. I would say it is more like Australia 90-10.

I wouldn't be getting too down if I were an Indian supporter. Just go back to 2001 India was beaten in close to 3 days, then were almost out of it and it took a super-human effort to get it back in the 2nd match, then again to win the 3rd.

India can take a few positives from the match - Tendulkar is to come back, Pathan & Turbonator are bowling well. Laxman looks in good touch, Patel seems to be keeping quite well.

Australia got lucky with Clarke, their luck will run out. India just have to make sure they can lay the big punches when Australia go a little off.

I think maybe he meant at the end of Day 1...

 

[Linda]

And no, of course I didn't watch the 2 days - not that I'd especially want to.
I really hope Clarke gets torn to pieces in the rest of the series, just for the sheer overhype of a player whose achievements are moderate before this single innings.

Come on, Richard. Just for the fact that you dont back a player, and feel he's overrated doesnt mean theres any need for that crap.

I dont know about anyone else, but I despise it when people want cricketers to fail for some warped reason of their own. (Ive probabaly been guilty of it myself at some point, however...)

 

[Jnr.]

Well done to Clarke on a very classy innings (despite the luck he had on 92) - I loved the six he smacked over Kumble's head.
Deservingly or not, Clarke got the Test debut, and certainly made the most of it by batting very well in tough circumstances. I suppose the selectors got this right.
Hopefully this will be the start of a grand Test career.

 

[Andre]

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.

You what?!

Lehmann is in no danger for his spot whatsoever - he has been our best player since his return to the side and is the current vice captain.

 

[biased indian]

1 gone 3 more to come.so there is enough test match to make a come back into the series.and tendulkar might play from next game onward so yuvraj will go.the series might be lost but there is one thing that i would like the indian batsmen to do.dont give u r wickets to shane warne pls.

 

[ReallyCrazy]

this ****ing sucks. this is ********. The Indian team deserves to be whipped!

 

[ReallyCrazy]

sorry for the above

 

[Swervy]

this ****ing sucks. this is ********. The Indian team deserves to be whipped!

they are getting whipped