*Official* India Tour of Australia 2018/19

[silentstriker]

But you also have to remember this is the bottom end of a longish series and the seamers have done all the work to get us this far. I'd rather have a fresh Kuldeep and Jadeja over an Ishant who might've been running on empty. I'm biased towards Kuldeep, but I can see him confusing an already confused Aussie batting unit.

You're just not gonna get enough out of both of them to make it worth while. I'd rather have Bhuvi (ideally) or Yadav if you did want to rest Ishant or if he was injured.

 

[honestbharani]

I came to enjoy Chappell's commentary by the end on Nine, possibly only by comparison to the other Nine guys because he actually watched and researched overseas cricket, but three recurring themes of his commentary almost seemed to me as if he was trying to indirectly big himself up.

1. "The best batsman in the team should bat #3" -- because he batted #3, and he likes to think he was the best batsman in his team
2. "A #3 should look to bat with intent and take on the bowlers" -- because he did that, and if others from other teams/eras didn't then they weren't true number #3s and therefore not the best batsmen in their side (see point #1), reducing his competition
3. Good captaincy is massively undervalued and can have an even bigger influence on the fortunes of a team than we already credit it with -- because he was a captain for a period, and he likes to think his team would've only won half as often if someone else was during that period

If you took on all his cricketing philosophies you couldn't help but come to the conclusion that Ian Chappell was one of the best cricketers of all time. What an amazing coincidence.

TBF though, I dont think he says that to big himself up as such, which is something you can accuse Warne or even someone like Mark Waugh of, but with Chappelli , you get the feeling he honestly thinks those points are important and hence, something he himself, as a player, always did. Not so much the other way around.

 

[Daemon]

This just doesn't look like the attack that people were saying were one of the best in history. Multiple series of your batsmen sucking will do that I suppose.

 

[silentstriker]

This just doesn't look like the attack that people were saying were one of the best in history. Multiple series of your batsmen sucking will do that I suppose.

This pitch isn't so great for bowlers.

 

[silentstriker]

Granted, the Indian batting isn't great either.

 

[trundler]

Tbf they did well in Adelaide and Perth. Melbourne was really really flat on day 1 and this is a pancake too. They could've done significantly better tho.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Pretty much the perfect day. Pujara is a beast. Another two sessions like this should be enough to seal the series.

Have to say the Australian attack looked pedestrian at times. Especially that spell with the second new ball where they were really wayward. Cummins looked a bit down on pace too, though that's perfectly understandable.

 

[vcs]

Pujara

Officially world class now and I hope he never gets dropped again in his life by those useless ****s Kohli and Shastri. Good work by Vihari and Agarwal too.

Two more sessions of this please.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Oz disappointing with the 2nd new ball, an apt summation of why Hazlewood & Starc have had the 12 months they've had.

Pujara's mental wearing down of Lyon over the course of this series has been seriously impressive. His going down the wicket a zillion times to pad balls outside of seems to have demoralised Lyon especially and he looked a defeated man today.

 

[trundler]

Pujara's such a magnificent player isn't he. Thanks Aussie Tragic for inspiring all this Che love.

 

[cnerd123]

Awesome day. ChePu is a hero. If India win the series he's the MOTS for sure.

I've got a lot of time for Vihari. Looked decent in Perth, did the job as an opener at Melbourne, and now scoring useful 1st innings runs here. Deserves an extended run. Really helps that he can turn his arm over too - we've been missing a serviceable fifth bowler in our top 6.

This should be the end of Vijay's run as opener for India. Was a quality player at his peak, shame about the decline. Feels like T20 ruined him tbh, although it's probably more complicated than that.

Dhawan probably back as an opener when we go back home, hopefully alongside Agarwal, with Shaw pressing his case again. Rahane needs to be let go, and if Lokesh isn't willing to have a run in the middle order, then he needs to be let go too. Just to get some form and work their game out in domestix. Maybe play a season of County cricket. They're quality players but aren't producing atm.

Shubman Gill will probably get a look in at some point. No real stand outs in domestics otherwise.

 

[Burner]

Bad decision to play Kuldeep on this pitch imo. I think he's going to get the Yasir Shah treatment. Maybe worse.

 

[srbhkshk]

Vihari did a good job hanging in there - two more sessions of good batting and the series is done.

 

[silentstriker]

Pujara

Officially world class now and I hope he never gets dropped again in his life by those useless ****s Kohli and Shastri. Good work by Vihari and Agarwal too.

Two more sessions of this please.

Kohli and Shastri are absolutely horrendous as a duo when it comes to selections. Like all time bad.

 

[trundler]

Agarwal and Shaw should be the first choice opening partnership for India now.

 

[Second Spitter]

The Aussie spinners are taking a hammering this match lol.

I don't know why you used the plural, however Australia only has one spinner in this match.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Yes, Shaw should be a shoo-in whenever he's fit. End of the line for Dhawan, Vijay, and Rahul as opener.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yes, Shaw should be a shoo-in whenever he's fit. End of the line for Dhawan, Vijay, and Rahul as opener.

Black armbands were fitting, then

I'll miss Vijay most of all. Was world class for a while and wonderful to watch.

 

[cnerd123]

I think they should drop Dhawan but I don't think they will.

 

[StephenZA]

This just doesn't look like the attack that people were saying were one of the best in history. Multiple series of your batsmen sucking will do that I suppose.

SA bowling attack been pretty impressive even when their batting has sucked almost as badly as the Aus batting.