*Official* VB Series - Australia, India & Zimbabwe

[marc71178]

Ok then we're all agreed. India are a better team than England. :P

Until they play I wouldn't like to speculate since they've been very evenly matched when they played in recent times.

 

[marc71178]

Instead of looking at how many days India and Australia dominated (which I feel India wins btw)

Go through it day by day, and you'll have a different view - Rain cost Aus the 1st Test IMO, and once they're ahead, they're a much more difficult opposition.

 

[marc71178]

I was not aware that he had a fractured skull. Im still not so certain you are correct. The commentators did mention that he had had one earlier in his career, so it was a worry, but I dont think they ever said he had doen it again. Maybe Im wrong, or maybe they just didnt say it. Anyway, if he does have a fractured skull, I apologise.

It's fractured all right.

Considering this is the 2nd time in 9 months or so he's been hit on the head severely, I wouldn't blame him if he never played again...

 

[marc71178]

when aus last toured india they won all the 4 days in mumbai,3 days in culcatta, and 2 days in chennai that is they won it 9-5. The series should have been australias oh steve waugh come back and get the series trophy and u r final frontier !!!!!

Oh sorry for proving wrong people that said India dominated the Test Series - I must stop doing that sort of thing.

 

[marc71178]

because for an english fan his team is in strong position if his team is 342/6 chasing 705/7 dec.

If you bothered to read my post, you'd see that I said that there was no way India dominated the 3rd Day of that match, and that if anything Aus had the upper hand over that day's play - where does that say anything about a strong position?

It doesn't, but why let the facts blinker a flame?

 

[krkode]

Oh sorry for proving wrong people that said India dominated the Test Series - I must stop doing that sort of thing.

Saying Australia dominated 8 days and India 7 hasn't proved anything. If anything at all, it has proved that people will go to the smallest factors to discredit an excellent performance.

I do, however, realize that you bought up this day-by-day comparison in response to someone else's post about NZ and Pakistan, so no offence to you, Marc.

And like I said earlier, I believe your analysis of Test 4 Day 3 is somewhat flawed. It was in no way the case of Australia having the upper hand. Losing 6 wickets for 340 chasing 700 can hardly be called the upper hand even though Langer did make a sparkling century. By that logic, India win 8-7 :P

 

[Neil Pickup]

Let's call it draw, then we can all drop it, eh?

 

[krkode]

Let's call it draw, then we can all drop it, eh?

Allow me to kiss your hand... :P

Yeah. This is the VB series and it's a close one between Australia and India... :P

 

[ReallyCrazy]

SOURAV GANGULY ROCKS!

 

[krkode]

SOURAV GANGULY ROCKS!

Yes, he does, my friend.

India's most successful captain? :P

 

[ReallyCrazy]

Yes, he does, my friend.

India's most successful captain? :P

Yep KrKode!

The funny thing is before this tour started dada was the least expected to get any runs. Nice century in the 1st test match and the good 50 in the 1st ODI which almost won India the game. And best of all, he is getting under the skins of the aussies. He has shut all his crictics up for good

On another note, what do you guys think about Bevan batting at number 7 for Australia. IMO he should come in at number 4. His calming presence is very much needed for Australia in the middle overs. I feel Australia attack too much and they have to learn when to be defensive for a while. Bevan can do this beautifully picking up the singles and getting a partnership going. Bevan is far too good at batter to come so late in the innings. It pains me to see a goose like Andrew Symonds at number 4.

 

[CDAK]

Yep KrKode!


On another note, what do you guys think about Bevan batting at number 7 for Australia. IMO he should come in at number 4. His calming presence is very much needed for Australia in the middle overs. I feel Australia attack too much and they have to learn when to be defensive for a while.gs. It pains me to see a goose like Andrew Symonds at number 4.

U have the point. I too believe Beven should have been given chances in the first 4. He is the Dravid like player for Australia(he can attack more than Dravid). Also, ur point of AUS's lack of defensive style is true.Beven can do better there. Imagine ,if he was batting at no.3, his his batting average might be some 80's and equal 100s of Sachin.!!!!

BTW, what is the use of Damien in AUS team?

 

[Gaijin-san]

Wow, Zimbabwe do have a world-class tail, just a shame there top order isnt doing the same.

Ervine shouldve been man of the match, IMO. If he hadnt of done what he did, there really wouldve been no chance. Those early wickets and quick fire runs were outstanding. Still it shows hes got plenty to come at such a young age!
Ebrahim and Price showed such determination, which almost got them through, they seemed to be having a good time aswell!

I really laughed when Ebrahim and Price were going for a hard fought third run after the Price boundry, and Bill Lawry is yelling "Run, boy, RUN!". Hilarious!

I loved that Lawry-ism.

Ervine is a star. He seemed to be the only one with a decent head on his shoulders last night (I like Vermeulen, but his got knocked off). They were screwed if they did, and even more so if they didn't so at least he had a mighty good go at doing the impossible. Too often Zimbabwe think that they're gone and go into a shell. I wouldn't have been surprised if they thought about going for the 1 point, but realistically that would never have helped them in this tournament. Props to Ervine, Ebrahim and Price.

 

[bennyr]

If I may add an Australian opinion to this outpouring of admiration for Ganguly, I reckon he rocks as well.

But to follow up on ReallyCrazy's comment about Bevan, I agree wholeheartedly. He is invariably coming in when the bash is required, and this is not what he is best suited to.

My thoughts are that Bevan should be the first man to come in after the first fifteen overs.

Leave the opening slog to Hayden and Gilchrist, send Symonds in if an early wicket falls and Ponting if another early one falls, but after the field is sent out, get Bevan in there ASAP. I think this sort of flexibility would allow players to play more of the game that is suited to them.

 

[Mister Wright]

Exactly. And the fact that they scored 60 runs from the 15th over to the 35th (when Taibu fell) meant that the asking rate was already 8.5 for 15 overs by the time Ervine came to the wicket. Scoring at only 3 an over for 20 overs in the middle of the innings is always going to create extreme pressure on the late order bats when you're chasing any decent total. They simply played far too defensively, and were comprehensively outshown by the lower order - yet again. Ervine, Ebrahim and Price played a great hand, but it was just too many to get at that stage of the innings.

Yes, but you were saying they were better off going out in a blaze of glory. IMO if they had of tried to smack the ball all around the pack, it might have come off, but it could have backfired and they could have been bowled out for 150. The way they batted at least gave them a chance to go for an assault in the last 15 overs.

And they did try and have a go. When Flower was out they promoted Blignaught who fell cheaply. So I feel your assessment of the game is a little off. I feel they should have given Ervine a few more overs. It appears that he is not a Chirs Cairns or Razzaq (sp) type batsman who can smack the ball from pretty much ball one. He seemed to be mistiming the ball a bit, whereas in Hobart where he was able to play himself in a bit he was able then to have a go.

 

[Dingo]

Memo to Australian selectors:

Either play Brad Hogg or drop him back to WA. Little wonder he's out of form, he may as well be wearing a waiter's outfit...

 

[Mister Wright]

Memo to Australian selectors:

Either play Brad Hogg or drop him back to WA. Little wonder he's out of form, he may as well be wearing a waiter's outfit...

Memo to Australian selectors:

Why was Hogg picked in the first place? He was going to be dropped for W.A. certainly not good form coming to a 1 day tournament.

 

[Salamuddin]

Hogg does get to play doesn't he ? Against Zimbabwe ?

 

[Gaijin-san]

Not necessarily. Ricky Ponting's thinking is generally that he'd like to get his team settled going into the big games, even if that means leaving out someone who might be required to come in for an injury. I think they're going to try and stick with their best team, which I don't believe Hogg is part of.

Having said that, I do believe that Marto and Lee are part of the best team. They are quality players, they have done the goods before and they will perform.

On a different note, Gilchrist is out for the matches on the 26th and 29th of January for a rest period I understand. Brad Haddin has been called up in his absence. As yet I'm not familiar with Haddin's OD form this season but obviously they've decided they want to go with a specialist keeper for this rather than calling in Jimmy Maher. For mine, that's a fair enough decision anyway because Haddin is probably about as good a bat as Maher and they've definitely got the time to call him up. It seems like Maher is a reserve batsman who takes the gloves when there's no time to call someone in.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Having just checked the results of the keepers this season, I am baffled. Of the 3 leading candidates (Haddin, Campbell, Seccombe), the results don't say much for Haddin:
Haddin ----- 53 runs -- 5 innings @ 13.25
Campbell -- 134 runs -- 6 innings @ 22.33
Seccombe - 144 runs -- 6 innings @ 48.00

Granted, none of those are fantastic figures, but they say absolutely nothing for Haddin. Even the other 2 best keepers for their state (Clingeleffer and Manou) have better results than Haddin batting-wise (albeit only slightly):
Clingeleffer --- 97 runs ---- 6 innings @ 24.25
Manou ------- 127 runs --- 7 innings @ 31.75

Now maybe none of the keepers have stand out records this season but Haddin is hardly the greatest keeper around. So what is he getting in above everyone else for? I'd go for Seccombe, personally at the moment. I'd like to know the justification for picking Haddin. I think being from NSW is not it. Reputation, maybe? He has a good record from other seasons.