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***Official Australia in India***

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
It's the control thing, I reckon. Because India is reversing it and they're not, it almost seems mythical and that breeds the awe, etc and consequent feelings of being out-of-control. This Aussie team hates dealing with things out of their control, out-of-the-ordinary or a bit different. It's why when they play South Africa, they feel like they'll beat them every time but when they play India, there's always the threat of a loss. Psychologically it goes back to fear of the unknown (probably a bit of xenophobia); when they play India, instead of seeing them as opponents on a cricket field, they probably see them as these creatures who can do magic tricks with the ball they can't. Breeds the most basic human emotion in these circumstances, fear. What follows? Panic.

Notice how the tension regarding losing the Ashes in 2005 didn't fully dissipate when they beat them in the return series and only when it as found English bowlers were apparently using sweets to get the ball to reverse? Suddenly, they had a reason, something they could blame for the loss. Was a way to regain control of the situation. "We knew it! So there you go, they had to cheat to win!" Look for something similar to be uncovered after this series, whether true or not (i.e. there's no proof that using sweets on the ball affected it at all). Need an outside influence to blame. Why?

The Aussie team is built on having trained and planned for every possibility in cricket and doing all the little things right that the other teams either ignore or don't do as well (ground fielding, for example). Being beaten on their merits is incongruous to this psychology because they would think, they're doing everything right and should win. So if they lose, must have been something else, the oppo cheated, etc.
Very intereting TC.

By the way, on a different line, I was very surprised to hear a stat given by Ian Chappell yesterday on TV. He said that the Australians lose a wicket every 12/13 overs overall to all teams (excluding the minnows) but they lose a wicket every 11 overs to India and every ten overs against India in India.
 

Precambrian

Banned
Very intereting TC.

By the way, on a different line, I was very surprised to hear a stat given by Ian Chappell yesterday on TV. He said that the Australians lose a wicket every 12/13 overs overall to all teams (excluding the minnows) but they lose a wicket every 11 overs to India and every ten overs against India in India.
Not really surprising since it's only India who have given Australia a run for their money since 96 atleast in home matches.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
In the scores Australia has posted, maybe.

In the results so far? It's clearly Australia's bowling. Australia's attack in '04 was superb and pretty much dominated for the entire series. Gillespie had his last great series with the ball, and McGrath and Warne were the same bowlers as always. Australia only got into bad situations when the batting failed in '04, and the bowling generally bailed the team out. There's no bowlers in common this time around, Lee's had a bad run and Clark has been injured, depriving Australia of it's two best bowlers, and it shows.
I think India's batting last time around also contributed to this. Last time around only Sehwag out of the recognised batsmen looked anywhere near his best so I think all the pieces sort of fell into place for them on that tour. Was their best opportunity to win in India and they made the most of it.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
NZ are coming down here this summer aren't they? If they play anything like they are against Bangladesh it'll be carnage.
 

Top_Cat

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I think India's batting last time around also contributed to this. Last time around only Sehwag out of the recognised batsmen looked anywhere near his best so I think all the pieces sort of fell into place for them on that tour. Was their best opportunity to win in India and they made the most of it.
Now, come on, Dravid was coming to the end of his golden run but he was still in form. Don't recall there being a lot wrong with Laxman's form in the lead-up, either.

The Aussie bowling did it. They did the perfect combo of bowling well and not allowing the Indians to bat well; winning games isn't just about playing your A-game but preventing the other guys from playing their's too.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Now, come on, Dravid was coming to the end of his golden run but he was still in form. Don't recall there being a lot wrong with Laxman's form in the lead-up, either.

The Aussie bowling did it. They did the perfect combo of bowling well and not allowing the Indians to bat well; winning games isn't just about playing your A-game but preventing the other guys from playing their's too.
Not taking any credit away from Australia at all. But no-one stepped up to the plate on the batting side of things for us at all during that series. Much like people are saying that bad batting is to blame for Australia's collapses rather than the pressure India have put Australia under.
 

Precambrian

Banned
Now, come on, Dravid was coming to the end of his golden run but he was still in form. Don't recall there being a lot wrong with Laxman's form in the lead-up, either.

The Aussie bowling did it. They did the perfect combo of bowling well and not allowing the Indians to bat well; winning games isn't just about playing your A-game but preventing the other guys from playing their's too.
Aussies were also helped by the fact that Tendulkar missed two tests and coming from an injury didnt score many in the 3rd test. They were also helped by the fact that Ricky Ponting also didnt play the first three tests due an injury. :ph34r:
 

Top_Cat

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Aussies were also helped by the fact that Tendulkar missed two tests and coming from an injury didnt score many in the 3rd test. They were also helped by the fact that Ricky Ponting also didnt play the first three tests due an injury. :ph34r:
Haha, I like how you put that. Well played!
 

masterblaster

International Captain
NZ are coming down here this summer aren't they? If they play anything like they are against Bangladesh it'll be carnage.
The South African's are coming down too. With the Australian's looking a bit fragile lately, this could be a good contest.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Aussies were also helped by the fact that Tendulkar missed two tests and coming from an injury didnt score many in the 3rd test. They were also helped by the fact that Ricky Ponting also didnt play the first three tests due an injury. :ph34r:
Not the worst theory in the world.

Ponting's captaincy has been atrocious.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The South African's are coming down too. With the Australian's looking a bit fragile lately, this could be a good contest.
I made the call that they'd at least draw the series down here after they left India and got laughed at by a lot of people. Not sure they'll go as hard at Australia as we are though. They have quite a defensive mindset in the way they play cricket.
 

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
Lets be honest the Hayden dismissal was very doubtful
Complete bollocks. Any post which starts with "let's be honest" can be taken with a massive grain of salt. I saw it live, and while it was tight as to whether it hit him in line (and ultimately the umpire was vindicated with the replay) it was NOT "very doubtful".
 

Burgey

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Not the worst theory in the world.

Ponting's captaincy has been atrocious.
With what shall he captain?

If your bowlers are bowling dross, you can have the captaincy skills of Jardine, Taylor, Fleming, Ian Chappell, Richie Benaud, Vaughan and Bradman rolled into one and you won't win tests.
 

Burgey

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It's the control thing, I reckon. Because India is reversing it and they're not, it almost seems mythical and that breeds the awe, etc and consequent feelings of being out-of-control. This Aussie team hates dealing with things out of their control, out-of-the-ordinary or a bit different. It's why when they play South Africa, they feel like they'll beat them every time but when they play India, there's always the threat of a loss. Psychologically it goes back to fear of the unknown (probably a bit of xenophobia); when they play India, instead of seeing them as opponents on a cricket field, they probably see them as these creatures who can do magic tricks with the ball they can't. Breeds the most basic human emotion in these circumstances, fear. What follows? Panic.

Notice how the tension regarding losing the Ashes in 2005 didn't fully dissipate when they beat them in the return series and only when it as found English bowlers were apparently using sweets to get the ball to reverse? Suddenly, they had a reason, something they could blame for the loss. Was a way to regain control of the situation. "We knew it! So there you go, they had to cheat to win!" Look for something similar to be uncovered after this series, whether true or not (i.e. there's no proof that using sweets on the ball affected it at all). Need an outside influence to blame. Why?

The Aussie team is built on having trained and planned for every possibility in cricket and doing all the little things right that the other teams either ignore or don't do as well (ground fielding, for example). Being beaten on their merits is incongruous to this psychology because they would think, they're doing everything right and should win. So if they lose, must have been something else, the oppo cheated, etc.
Good point, though I don't think reverse is undoing Australia all that much in terms of knocking them over, though it may be with their minds.
 

Burgey

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Mark Waugh made a point a couple of days ago that the Aussie players and Nielsen seemed a bit in awe whenever they spoke of how well the Indians have reversed it and how they were trying to match it. He said the attitude was showing in their batting and they're giving far too much respect to them instead of trying to do what they normally do and impose their own game on India.
It's not a bad point, though of course if you go out aggressively then get out, look how you get slaughtered in the media.
Australia needed a big knock from Hayden to save the test, and haven't got it. But at least Hayden was Hayden in that little cameo, not the shell he had been so far (though tbf he was a bit stiff in the 1st test).
 

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