***Official*** Australia in India

[silentstriker]

Laxman against

• Australia : 52
• Newzealand : 51
• Windies : 53
• England : 40

Even better.

 

[R_D]

India better win today or i'm going to get raped by mates.
Going for end of Football (Soccer) season trip to Adelaide so i'm going to cop it if India don't win as i messaged everyone after the T20 semi final win.

 

[Johnners]

Newspaper was reporting this morning that Hodge will get another chance in today's match

Better not be so

 

[SJS]

India better win today or i'm going to get raped by mates.
.

What fun

 

[SJS]

Even better.

Yes I know. I posted those figures in support of what you were saying. Laxman is our mostconvenient fallguy because of his lack of charisma and superstar status

 

[pup11]

I would not be suprised if Hodgey gets another chance today and that would really suck, why the hell are the Aussies being so.... patient with Hodgey he has got so many chances and he has failed pretty badly.
Btw, interesting stuff from Ponting... http://content-au.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/314909.html

 

[Athlai]

Probably because he has so much potential.

 

[Prince EWS]

Probably because he has so much potential.

And because his ODI failures have been greatly exaggerated. He was completely useless when he first came into the team and he's been just as useless in this series, but he had quite a good run for a while after he was moved to #5.

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 2005/06
13 v New Zealand (#4)
0 v New Zealand (#4)
59 v New Zealand (#4)

VB Series 2005/06
5 v Sri Lanka (#3)
2 v Sri Lanka (#3)

Commonwealth Bank Series 2006/07
0 v England (#3)
1 v England (#3)
99* v New Zealand (#5)
5 v England (#5)
45 v England (#5)

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 2006/07
22 v New Zealand (#5)
97* v New Zealand (#5)
12 v New Zealand (#5)

World Cup 2006/07
29 v Scotland (#4)
123 v Netherlands (#5)

Australia in India 2007/08
0 v India (#3)
3 v India (#3)
3 v India (#6)
17 v India (#6)

By position
#3 - 11 runs @ 1.83
#4 - 84 runs @ 21.00
#5 - 424 runs @ 84.80
#6 - 20 runs @ 10.00

(#5, excluding the match against Netherlands - 301 runs @ 75.25)

So, what can we gather from all this?

* Despite either opening or batting #3 in domestic cricket, he doesn't seem to have the required technique to do so. He's been given numerous opportunities at this position and failed regularly.

* He relishes the middle order role at #5 with two unbeaten scores in the 90s and a ton (albeit that ton against the Netherlands..) and he fully deserves further opportunities there.

* He's in bad form currently.

While his form may not justify selection for the next game over Haddin, the comments suggesting he has been a failure for Australia in one day cricket in general are way off IMO, as his performances away from the new ball have been exceptional. I'd expect Andrew Symonds, for example, to struggle similarly if he had to bat at #3 regularly. I don't want to see Hodge at #3 for Australia in ODIs ever again and I wouldn't pick him today either but he's not the failure he's made out to be and I'm certainly for him remaining the "next cab off the rank" for a #5/6 role.

 

[sideshowtim]

Australian side is unchanged. Hodge in.

India batting first on a flat deck. Ugh. 2-2 here we come.

 

[hardnut]

...So, what can we gather from all this?

* Despite either opening or batting #3 in domestic cricket, he doesn't seem to have the required technique to do so. He's been given numerous opportunities at this position and failed regularly.

* He relishes the middle order role at #5 with two unbeaten scores in the 90s and a ton (albeit that ton against the Netherlands..) and he fully deserves further opportunities there.

* He's in bad form currently.

While his form may not justify selection for the next game over Haddin, the comments suggesting he has been a failure for Australia in one day cricket in general are way off IMO, as his performances away from the new ball have been exceptional. I'd expect Andrew Symonds, for example, to struggle similarly if he had to bat at #3 regularly. I don't want to see Hodge at #3 for Australia in ODIs ever again and I wouldn't pick him today either but he's not the failure he's made out to be and I'm certainly for him remaining the "next cab off the rank" for a #5/6 role.

Good post EWS - agree with all you say. This is a crunch game and it would be great to see an in-form player in the team rather than Hodge, but his failures have been somewhat exaggerated. Problem for him is that another failure in an important match will do his career more damage than being dropped for Haddin.

PS I assume you have that avatar because you lost a bet

 

[andyc]

Haha, that's unbelievable. 23 runs from 4 innings and he's still getting picked over Haddin.

 

[pasag]

Congrats to Sachin.

Excellent toss to win, Australia will have to bowl very well here.

 

[Raghav]

Hodge selected again. Haddin would be feeling ' whats enough I need to score in my next match if given a chance to get selected over Hodge'

 

[biased indian]

we need decent start here ....after 15 overs 75/1 will be good.....

 

[alternative]

Clearly there was a freaking run there, ****ing hell

 

[biased indian]

i think aussies are still in good gifting mood....... 5 extras to start with

 

[biased indian]

wht the hell are they doing getting run out in the first over...who problem was that.....

dravid should come to bat now i think

 

[Prince EWS]

wht the hell are they doing getting run out in the first over...who problem was that.....

dravid should come to bat now i think

And he did, but now he's gone first ball.

 

[alternative]

What a start, freaking pathetic mofo's.

 

[NUFAN]

we need decent start here ....after 15 overs 75/1 will be good.....

Hodge gets the run out!! Would Haddin have done that? I doubt it..