Yes another notion proven to be false is that another 100 runs off 155 would have been more useful than off 170 balls for Australia's situation.On a side note, this performance by India also shows how important first innings scores are. There seems to be a notion that second innings scores are somehow more valuable. Both India's and Australia's first innings performances have disproved the said theory. First innings performances are as important as second innings scores, if not more. You screw up in the first innings and the match is as good as gone.
Yep. His usual method of declaring is let the opposition chase for example 450 in the last day.And Smith is amazingly defensive as a captain. There is a reason why I don't think SL or SA will EVER be a dominant team even if they had the kind of players others did.. They just think waaay too defensively. Even Dhoni is rather defensive but he is not at their levels.. I mean, WTF was that having a deep cover when India were 70 odd for 3 and Laxman had just come in???
LOL Those were two of the worst cricket pitches that I have seen...averaged 45 vs Pakistan
Yeah, India did a touch better than what I thought, I picked them to be all out for 170ish. Thought Morkel was disappointing.India didn't do too badly on a pitch expected to have lots of demons. The Indians rode their luck a bit with edges going over the top and wide at times. Only really Steyn bowled consistently well though. You imagine that Khan might be more suited to this pitch than the likes of Morkel and Tsotsobe. The latter seems to be a bit short of test class. He can't generate much pace and doesn't trouble batsmen a lot. On this type of pitch Parnell could have posed some danger for the Indians.
SA might have to bat well to get ahead of the game if the pitch deteriorates.
Yeah, India did a touch better than what I thought, I picked them to be all out for 170ish. Thought Morkel was disappointing.
I may be wrong, but I think you'll find the quota-system is the reason Tsotsobe is in ahead of Parnell.
True.Sehwag, Vijay and Dravid got terrific deliveries.. Laxman got out to a great catch. Sachin and Pujara played loose shots.. Sachin's dismissal was pretty similar to how Tsotsobe got Laxman at the Centurion.
True.If India were 5 down instead of 6 it wouldn't be too bad. That Pujara wicket hurt.
Smith's defensive, but hard to match dhoni's high standards tbf.The CURRENT (I mean the one playing at MCG) English attack would be a nightmare for ANY batting side.. That said, still think India would have done better than what Australia did..
And Smith is amazingly defensive as a captain. There is a reason why I don't think SL or SA will EVER be a dominant team even if they had the kind of players others did.. They just think waaay too defensively. Even Dhoni is rather defensive but he is not at their levels.. I mean, WTF was that having a deep cover when India were 70 odd for 3 and Laxman had just come in???
There was an air of desperation about his batting; he was lucky not to get out earlier.True.
Really dissapointed with both Pujara and Sachin.
Both of them just gave it away.
As for Vijay he was very lucky to survive till as long as he did. He looked Raina shaky and was bound to get out at one point or the other.
Considering how impregnable his defensive technique has looked lately, I can't understand why he looked in such a hurry yesterday. I think he just didn't trust himself to hang in there long enough to grind bowlers down on this wicket.There was an air of desperation about his batting; he was lucky not to get out earlier.
After he survived that Morkel over before lunch (that was an awesome bit of bowling), he shouldn't have got out to Tsotsobe.Strange....
I thought he looked decent before he got out.
There was one hook he edged ,but that was all.
It was just a lazy shot after lunch before he 'switched on'. But TBF to him can't remember the last time in the last 12 months where he gave it away so easily.After he survived that Morkel over before lunch (that was an awesome bit of bowling), he shouldn't have got out to Tsotsobe.