Hands up if you wrote off McGrath

[silentstriker]

Umm this thread is just plain stupid. While i dont think Mcgrath is finished, this pitch was about as custom made for him as the one at Lords was last year. To use this performance to say that he isnt finished is being extremely short sighted. Hes the only bowler in the world who can hit a 2 inch crack with any sort of consistency.

And if he can still do that, does that not show that he isn't finished?

 

[catsa]

i never written mcgrath. if it was anybody i was writting off with is Lee. I like lee still but some games he can be too expense in bowling./ i reckon clark will stay in the side he's been playing awesome

 

[BoyBrumby]

Sky talking about a bruised heel for McGrath. Must be borderline semi-serious as it seems v funny he hasn't bowled more than 3 overs on a pitch that is basically a bespoke McGrath track.

 

[tooextracool]

And if he can still do that, does that not show that he isn't finished?

No. If you brought Ambrose out of retirement, he might have taken a handful of wickets on that wicket tbh. For Mcgrath to not be finished he needs to bowl well in all conditions, not just the ones that suit him the most.

 

[Matt79]

"All conditions" is a bit steep isn't it? If he's still test class and competent on surfaces that don't suit him, and this dangerous in conditions that do, I'd say he's a long way from "finished".

You seem to be equating "not finished" with "still the best in the world".

 

[tooextracool]

"All conditions" is a bit steep isn't it? If he's still test class and competent on surfaces that don't suit him, and this dangerous in conditions that do, I'd say he's a long way from "finished".

You seem to be equating "not finished" with "still the best in the world".

Okay fine, if he does it in most conditions. The point im trying to make is that one inning doesnt make a summer, and as such if he performs on other surfaces in Australia then clearly he still deserves to be in the side.

 

[Matt79]

Okay fine, if he does it in most conditions. The point im trying to make is that one inning doesnt make a summer, and as such if he performs on other surfaces in Australia then clearly he still deserves to be in the side.

Fair enough.

 

[Scmods]

Ian Chappell did, but who listens to him?

 

[Perm]

Quite a few people, I for one find Chappeli's technical analysis quite interesting and informative. Some of the stuff he says is pretty rubbish but a lot of it is good to listen to and helps lift your knowledge of some aspects of the game.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Isn't that what he's saying? That McGrath has no rust after 12 months off and Harmison does, so Harmison should "take note"?

Well the fact is that Harmison never could have been expected to be as sharp as McGrath after similar length layoffs. Therefore he shouldn't be criticized on the point.

 

[Slow Love™]

This thread is probably a tad premature, as I think much of the concern about McGrath has been related to his ability to get through the series - and he does have a bit of an ankle concern at the moment.

On that, did anybody notice all the Nine commentators talking about Giles' selection in this match as being "vindicated" after Marto expertly guided one of his early deliveries into the slips at comfortably catchable height? Good call, fellas.

Having said this though, I didn't lose the faith. Picked McGrath as biggest wicket-taker of the series in fact. I'm hoping the injury is as minor as it's being reported to be, though.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Isn't it just a blistered heel? Assuming you're referring to the injury that kept him off the field on the fourth afternoon, that is.

 

[Slow Love™]

Isn't it just a blistered heel? Assuming you're referring to the injury that kept him off the field on the fourth afternoon, that is.

Is it just a blister? Cricinfo has been reporting it as a bruised heel...

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Is it just a blister? Cricinfo has been reporting it as a bruised heel...

Yeah, that was what I heard first, then they interviewed McGrath after play and he said it was just blistering. Apparently it's a problem he's had from time to time throughout his whole career, usually when he's bowling a lot and isn't used to it. Evidently quite bad blistering though, as he said it was "one of the most painful things I've ever experienced", but that he had it treated and it cleared up a bit overnight.

Of course, it could merely be spin and he might have a broken hip or something, but that's what he said.

 

[Slow Love™]

Yeah, that was what I heard first, then they interviewed McGrath after play and he said it was just blistering. Apparently it's a problem he's had from time to time throughout his whole career, usually when he's bowling a lot and isn't used to it. Evidently quite bad blistering though, as he said it was "one of the most painful things I've ever experienced", but that he had it treated and it cleared up a bit overnight.

Of course, it could merely be spin and he might have a broken hip or something, but that's what he said.

Bad blistering probably has the capacity to be more painful than bruising, I suppose - I know from personal experience it can hurt like a bitch. The team seems to be indicating he should be OK to play at Adelaide, so fingers crossed. There must be some doubt though, with the re-introduction of Tait and Johnson into the squad.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Bad blistering probably has the capacity to be more painful than bruising, I suppose - I know from personal experience it can hurt like a bitch. The team seems to be indicating he should be OK to play at Adelaide, so fingers crossed. There must be some doubt though, with the re-introduction of Tait and Johnson into the squad.

Yeah, with Clark having cemented his spot I don't see the point of the 13 man squad. The only reason I can imagine is the possible desire to play five bowlers on an Adelaide road, but I can't see them doing that, especially without one of them being MacGill.

 

[aussie tragic]

Hows the feeeling now with McGrath's 1-53 and 0-107 following his highly inspired 6-50.

This means that he now has 7 wkts @ 30.00 in the series and he has 18 wkts @ 37.00 over his last 6 tests (includes this one in Adelaide). I think this means the Jury is still out for me.

Note: I acknowledge Lee is worse with 3 wkts @ 96.00 in the series and only 17 wkts @ 42.47 over his last 6 Tests.

Need some new blood before the end of the series IMO (Johnson preferred over Tait) but I'd drop Lee before McGrath.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Lee would, under normal circumstances, recieve a few more matches grace before his position came under question because of his performances last summer. Australia will usually look to drop older players when there's a clear chance and they aren't playing well, but Lee is only 30 and is seen as part of the attack in the post-McGrath era, and he did lead the attack for the period McGrath was away to justify those hope somewhat, so they won't be keen to drop him.

The problem is, if Perth is another road which turns a little and Watson is fit they'll be looking to pick MacGill, which means a seamer has to go. Clark is more or less undroppable at the moment as he's the form bowler in the side, and McGrath is McGrath. It's extremely harsh on Lee, but he may find himself on the outer for the third test, unless he bowls well in the second innings here.

Or hell, they might leave MacGill out again. Hard to say. Either way there's one seamer and one batsman who may be on the way out after this test, so nobody will want to fail.

To answer the McGrath question, I'm not sure it means that much. It was a fairly poor performance and not something we would have seen from McGrath too many times in the past, but he did actually bowl pretty well at times and was the only bowler who consistently troubled Collingwood. I view it similarly to Warne really, who has bowled fairly poorly at times in this series, but the workload and the batting hasn't exactly helped, and he's also been extremely good at times, like in the first two sessions on day one in Adelaide. I think it'd be sensible to reserve judgement on McGrath until the series is over.

 

[Nishant]

McGrath is too injury prone! Happened in the last ashes series as well! IMO, situations like the one the aussies are in at the moment, can lose you important matches and serieses! This exactly waht is happeneing at the moment! They need to fing some new blood...he cant cope with international cricket anymore!

 

[tooextracool]

I predicted before the series started that Mcgrath would be the biggest disappointment for Australia and im sticking with that.From what ive seen off him in the champions trophy and the Ashes thus far he looks like half the bowler that he used to be and while he may still go well on pitches that suit him to the bill, but id be very surprised if he makes it until the end of this series.