Placing our bets on "Test Cricket's Young Fab Four"

[Spark]

You're talking about ancient history, not the one where Smith just got done over at home against a bowling attack that was all over him. Because you argue points that no one else made.

Ah, I wasn't aware that only runs made since the start of 2016 were of any value in Test cricket.

It's Steyn-Morkel-Philander ffs. No one had beaten that South Africa side at home until then, no one.

 

[Blocky]

To be clear, the hard work Blocky is talking about was this:

34 overs, the ball is obviously in it's best condition for runs right? Why do you argue so inconsistently?

 

[Blocky]

Ah, I wasn't aware that only runs made since the start of 2016 were of any value in Test cricket.

It's Steyn-Morkel-Philander ffs. No one had beaten that South Africa side at home until then, no one.

And Smith hadn't done anything outside that one test to actually help that; so why are you using that as an example?

Mitchell Johnson takes seven wickets... Warner spanks a run a ball hundred when conditions are hard, but let's give full credit to down hill skiing down by Smith when the ball was old and the bowling was tired.

 

[Spark]

34 overs, the ball is obviously in it's best condition for runs right? Why do you argue so inconsistently?

Have you seen what has happened to Australian sides reduced to 4/100 after 30 overs in seaming conditions, as was the case in that Test? I actually watched that game, as did many other people here.

 

[Blocky]

Same series you're trying to argue against injuries, yet Steyn managed three overs total in the final innings of the test when the series was live, Warner was phenomenal and Smith was just there to mop up against tired bowling.

 

[OverratedSanity]

34 overs, the ball is obviously in it's best condition for runs right? Why do you argue so inconsistently?

You always have a caveat ready don't you? This is ridiculous.

 

[Blocky]

Have you seen what has happened to Australian sides reduced to 4/100 after 30 overs in seaming conditions, as was the case in that Test? I actually watched that game, as did many other people here.

As I keep saying, come back to me when he dominates India. He won't though, he hasn't scored meaningful tough runs against a world class bowling attack when the series was on the line with exception to that one game.

 

[Spark]

I'm not arguing that Smith was better than Warner in that series, nobody was better than Warner in that series. I'm saying that calling coming in at 4/98 "cashing in against a tired attack" as opposed to an extremely challenging match situation is either insane or gaslighting.

 

[Blocky]

You always have a caveat ready don't you? This is ridiculous.

What you call Caveat, I call an understanding of Cricket - imagine what Warner would do if he faced a 34 over old ball every time he went out there to bat.

 

[Blocky]

I'm not arguing that Smith was better than Warner in that series, nobody was better than Warner in that series. I'm saying that calling coming in at 4/98 "cashing in against a tired attack" as opposed to an extremely challenging match situation is either insane or gaslighting.

How many times do you see 4/98 turn into a 300-350 score? Tons.. NZ used to think 4-100 was a great start ffs.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Same series you're trying to argue against injuries, yet Steyn managed three overs total in the final innings of the test when the series was live, Warner was phenomenal and Smith was just there to mop up against tired bowling.

What bowling attack gets tired after 33 overs in the first innings?

 

[Blocky]

There in lies the other issue with Smith - he scores centuries when everyone scores centuries

Root, De Kock, Kohli, even Williamson are more often than not the only highlight of their innings.

 

[Spark]

How many times do you see 4/98 turn into a 300-350 score? Tons.. NZ used to think 4-100 was a great start ffs.

Yeah, it's almost as if teams pick batsmen at number 6 because it's actually required to stop 4/98 turning into 200 all out, which has happened many, many, many times to us over the last five years.

 

[Blocky]

What bowling attack gets tired after 33 overs in the first innings?

What bowling attack (outside a spinning one) would you say are at their best with a 34 over old ball?

 

[Blocky]

Yeah, it's almost as if teams pick batsmen at number 6 because it's actually required to stop 4/98 turning into 200 all out, which has happened many, many, many times to us over the last five years.

Oh, during the period that I said Australia was average and you argued? Cool, glad to see we're just arguing for the sake of it.

I'm out. Come at me after India.

 

[Victor Ian]

Just for clarity - That like for Spark is because he just knocked Blocky out - Awesome effort

 

[Shady Slim]

the fact that as much as i hate watching him bat, pre india in australia tour 2014 smith is a completely different batsman to the one after that, they are not the same person and the current iteration is absurdly good

 

[Spark]

the fact that as much as i hate watching him bat, pre india in australia tour 2014 smith is a completely different batsman to the one after that, they are not the same person and the current iteration is absurdly good

I think post captaincy Smith is different again, the **** just doesn't get out once in.

 

[centurymaker]

Eh, depends on what pitches are served up. If he averages 45 on the decks that SA faved then it would probably be the best performance by a touring batsmen in a while.

On such pitches even an average of 30 is pretty good, sounds low but its actually pretty high on those sub 150, sub 200 run wickets!

So it depends.., but I think they'll be on the flatter side.. which won't be fun..
(BCCI would want the games to last 5 days, rather than finish in less than 3 days).

 

[Shady Slim]

actually on the topic of smith someone needs to find out what she behind the blowing idiosyncrasy he has in the slips

he blows on a hand, rubs together the palms, blows again and rubs again, and knowing how much of a fidgety idiosyncratic guy he is (see: batting) there has to be more to it