**Official** Pakistan in Australia Thread

[Eclipse]

oooooh what a six by Langer !! never seen him do that to a fast bowler before

 

[Mr Casson]

oooooh what a six by Langer !! never seen him do that to a fast bowler before

You probably haven't seen him play the second new ball before on 160!

 

[Eclipse]

You probably haven't seen him play the second new ball before on 160!

meh..

 

[Mr Casson]

With Langer not taking singles, you can bet your children's college fund on Langer going for some boundaries.

 

[Eclipse]

this has to be one of Langers best ever innings i would think.

 

[Jono]

Almost every team has had the upper hand over Australia at some point in a test match, sometimes even a real strong advantage (like today) and Australia always fight back (often helped by the opposing team's incompetence). Absolutely amazing how often this occurs.

 

[Eclipse]

Alot of it's just the confidence of the Australian players... they don't go into there shell.

 

[Tony Blade]

Langer's murdering Sami. :O

 

[James90]

Bangladesh were 1/140 at one stage against Australia last year, does that count as the upper hand? Mr Casson was right about JL going for the boundaries, he moves onto 180

 

[Sehwag309]

what happened did he drop langer ?

Not the easiest of catches

 

[andyc]

Almost every team has had the upper hand over Australia at some point in a test match, sometimes even a real strong advantage (like today) and Australia always fight back (often helped by the opposing team's incompetence). Absolutely amazing how often this occurs.

that's a large factor in them becoming world champions, that they always come back.

 

[Crazy Sam]

i was confident even at 5/78 that we'd finish the day on top. akhtar was alright for the first two or three spells but it took only two overs before he looked to be completely out of breath and he struggled as the day went on. khalil bowled well but didn't create many opportunities. the bowlers are all pretty good from pakistan but I think they struggle to bowl well consistently. I think it would've been a lot, lot worse for them had they actually gone through their overs at a normal rate.

i thought the fielding from the pakistanis was dreadful though, even when the aussies didnt run they often didn't pick the balls up cleanly that came to them - i know it's no real big deal if the batsmen don't run but if they can't pick up the balls with no pressure on them then, as we saw, they are not going to pick up many of the balls when they're under pressure. the keeper did a fine job except for that unfortunate missed catch which he took a lifetime to react to.

australia are well on top after winning the last two sessions and should still win this one quite comfortably.

 

[andyc]

australia are well on top after winning the last two sessions and should still win this one quite comfortably.

yeah i think you're right there. we won't win in three days as some people have said but i reckon maybe by tea day 4 itll be wrapped up, or close to it.

 

[Mister Wright]

Seems like Australia should get close to 300, and pass it if the bottom 4 show some resistance as they have recently. Amazingly enough, 3 of the Australians from 8-11 scored test 50s in the New Zealand series, so they are certainly in decent batting form.

Maybe it's Kasper's turn today.


edit: and it should be said, I think Shane Warne is rather underrated as a player of quick bowling. It is usually assumed that he is better at playing spin because he bowls it, but I have a lot more faith in him against Sami and Shoaib than I would against Harbhajan, Murali or Kumble.

Yeah, I thought that today. The commentators keep going on about how Warne should be able to read the spin when he is batting because he bowls it. I don't think that is all that true, just because he bowls it doesn't mean he knows what it looks like out of the hand.

 

[Slow Love™]

Almost every team has had the upper hand over Australia at some point in a test match, sometimes even a real strong advantage (like today) and Australia always fight back (often helped by the opposing team's incompetence). Absolutely amazing how often this occurs.

Yeah. That's why I couldn't believe the other day when somebody was suggesting that Australia crumble whenever they're put under any kind of pressure. Given that they react better to this than any other team in the world does, it seems like the most invalid criticism imaginable. In recent times, when they're beaten, it's usually due to herculean efforts by the opposition.

If there's something particularly distinctive about the transition between Steve Waugh's team and Ricky Ponting's, it's probably that they find themselves under pressure more often. But the way they fight back is amazing. I grew up in the 80's during the years of the FABC (Famous Australian Batting Collapse) - when, once the third wicket fell, it was deck of cards time. I still haven't really gotten over it, so I'm constantly shocked at how this team can claw it's way back from perilous situations.

Today was a strange day - I feel sorry for Pakistan, because they got off to such a good start. But they ended the day so poorly that they squandered just about any advantage they gleaned from the first session and a bit. Still, the game's not over yet.

Langer's innings was very good. He was watchful at first, and unleashed later on, but most importantly, (unless I missed something) was it chanceless? I'm used to Langer offering a chance early in his innings fairly frequently, but didn't see one today.

EDIT: Oops, looks from Sehwag's post that he was dropped, although maybe it was a difficult chance. Still a top innings though.

 

[Jnr.]

Langer was dropped down the leg side off glove when he was 13. Kamran moved late and therefor only got a glove on it.

Still, this is undoubtedly Langer's best knock. Top effort by JL.

 

[Jono]

Yeah. That's why I couldn't believe the other day when somebody was suggesting that Australia crumble whenever they're put under any kind of pressure. Given that they react better to this than any other team in the world does, it seems like the most invalid criticism imaginable. In recent times, when they're beaten, it's usually due to herculean efforts by the opposition.

If there's something particularly distinctive about the transition between Steve Waugh's team and Ricky Ponting's, it's probably that they find themselves under pressure more often. But the way they fight back is amazing. I grew up in the 80's during the years of the FABC (Famous Australian Batting Collapse) - when, once the third wicket fell, it was deck of cards time. I still haven't really gotten over it, so I'm constantly shocked at how this team can claw it's way back from perilous situations.

Today was a strange day - I feel sorry for Pakistan, because they got off to such a good start. But they ended the day so poorly that they squandered just about any advantage they gleaned from the first session and a bit. Still, the game's not over yet.

Langer's innings was very good. He was watchful at first, and unleashed later on, but most importantly, (unless I missed something) was it chanceless? I'm used to Langer offering a chance early in his innings fairly frequently, but didn't see one today.

EDIT: Oops, looks from Sehwag's post that he was dropped, although maybe it was a difficult chance. Still a top innings though.

Very true. Look at their come backs:

India, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand and now Pakistan.

In that order, Australia have been under immense pressure in some of those games (well the first test against NZ when Martyn fell) and managed to fight out, either saving the test or going on to win it.

 

[Pratters]

Langer played a top class inning. Many people just expect such innings out of Australians and thus the credit is limited. For example if a player of another country would have played such an inning, people would have raved about the inning for days.

Excellent show Langer!

 

[Mister Wright]

Yeah. That's why I couldn't believe the other day when somebody was suggesting that Australia crumble whenever they're put under any kind of pressure. Given that they react better to this than any other team in the world does, it seems like the most invalid criticism imaginable. In recent times, when they're beaten, it's usually due to herculean efforts by the opposition.

If there's something particularly distinctive about the transition between Steve Waugh's team and Ricky Ponting's, it's probably that they find themselves under pressure more often. But the way they fight back is amazing. I grew up in the 80's during the years of the FABC (Famous Australian Batting Collapse) - when, once the third wicket fell, it was deck of cards time. I still haven't really gotten over it, so I'm constantly shocked at how this team can claw it's way back from perilous situations.

Today was a strange day - I feel sorry for Pakistan, because they got off to such a good start. But they ended the day so poorly that they squandered just about any advantage they gleaned from the first session and a bit. Still, the game's not over yet.

Langer's innings was very good. He was watchful at first, and unleashed later on, but most importantly, (unless I missed something) was it chanceless? I'm used to Langer offering a chance early in his innings fairly frequently, but didn't see one today.

EDIT: Oops, looks from Sehwag's post that he was dropped, although maybe it was a difficult chance. Still a top innings though.

I'd agree with that, however they don't get out of those situation in dead rubbers.

 

[Jnr.]

well he say's it's not but I doubt that is entierly the case..

I have no worries about it he will come back to his best soon enough i'm sure of it.

I don't think it's poor form per se. Early on in his innings he sometimes struggles. This was the case again today, but he worked himself back into decent form.

Kim Hughes on the radio was saying that JL was starving RP of the strike, when he (RP) was hitting the ball well, so he said, probably the loss of the strike led to the dismissal.

It was a poor shot to a good ball, and he's been doing this all year (ie getting starts, and then throwing it away). Someone must tell him to keep concentrating and to play straight, because that's what he's been doing wrong all year.