*Official* Australia in Sri Lanka 2016

[Prince EWS]

It's more suited to accurate but typically innocuous spinners than inaccurate but occasionally dangerous ones because the pitch will make the former more dangerous anyway, but it won't make the latter more accurate.

I would argue however that Smith is probably a more useful part-timer in the context of the attack because he offers something the frontlines don't. The only reason to bowl Voges would be if you wanted to bowl Holland but he was buggered.

 

[Burgey]

Voges' standing rapidly diminishing in this series.

As a human being.

 

[mr_mister]

I really like when a bowler doesn't go up when he knows its not out like Lyon did there. Good to see. Also makes your real appeals seem more genuine and thus I reckon are more likely to be given out


So many bowlers have never heard of the boy who cried wolf it seems. Really annoys me when they appeal for **** they know isnt out

 

[Stapel]

This series is well on its way to being the worst series ever for opening batsmen Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Would be quite a thing if a record set during the first ever series would be broken!

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Starc on fire

 

[Prince EWS]

nice way of explaining it


So Smith more likely to bowl an insanely good delivery out of nowhere and dismiss a Root or Williamson(of which the calibre SL don't have), but also more likely to leak 50 runs off 8 overs

got it

Yeah, Smith would be much more useful on a pitch not offering spinners heaps of help because in that situation he could still bowl a genuinely threatning ball while Voges would be very unlikely to. In these conditions though the pitch will turn a lot Voges's innocuous darts into threatening deliveries and go some way to 'fixing' his weakness in a way it wouldn't fix Smith's long hops and full tosses.

 

[Tec15]

That drop doesn't end up costing much. Pity.

 

[mr_mister]

Well it didn't cost Starc


Mendis already back down to earth lol

will end up with a career average under 40 for sure

 

[morgieb]

A lot of misses seemed to have followed up with a wicket pretty quickly in this Test.

Where are all the people whinging about the pitch like there was in the India series last year?

 

[Starfighter]

Starceh!

 

[Dan Jamson]

Well it didn't cost Starc


Mendis already back down to earth lol

will end up with a career average under 40 for sure

Same as Voges

 

[morgieb]

Well it didn't cost Starc


Mendis already back down to earth lol

will end up with a career average under 40 for sure

Mendis is the only Test batsman to score a ton that is younger than I am. He'll be a gun for a long time.

 

[Prince EWS]

It's really grinding my gears that BJ calls Mendis, "Mendez". I'm glad he's out now, primarily for that reason.

 

[mr_mister]

Same as Voges

nah no chance. If his average dips below 60 it already means he's probably failed too many times to not have been dropped by then. There's also the chance he might just call it quits since he's ancient


basically whether we like it or not statistically Voges will end up one of the greatest test batsmen

 

[wpdavid]

Get rid of Matthews quickly and Aus could be chasing less than 275. Maybe less than 250.

 

[TheJediBrah]

No point whinging about the pitch. It's still cricket and you need to be able to handle different conditions not just the ones that you're used to or suit your game.

It's getting a bit ridiculous lately though. Aus go overseas and generally lose (except NZ, WI, SA, Eng is close at least), but India/UAE and now SL aus have lost they're latest series comfortably. And every side that comes to Australia gets absolutely thrashed.

You might as well just give the series to the home side and be done with it. The whole "give the toss to the visiting side" instead of actually tossing is starting to look like it has merit.

 

[Gnske]

"Steve Smith's confident! Very confident!"

Cue to Smith looking like some 16 year old trying to figure out how condoms work.

 

[morgieb]

Height has to be the issue. Thinking umpire's call.

 

[mr_mister]

reluctant DRS in the end

 

[Starfighter]

Get rid of Matthews quickly and Aus could be chasing less than 275. Maybe less than 250.

Probably 100 more than what they need though...