A bouncer from Tommo

[Richard]

I think Thommo and few other pundits are in for a surprise this Ashes series, and I feel some are putting themselves at the front of the queue to eat humble pie !!

Hmm... can't see it's likely personally.

 

[chaminda_00]

I'd rather Strauss to Hayden, at present. I'd also rather an Englishman to Clarke.

Yeah but Struass would be compared to Langer, Australia best opener, and Hayden to Tescothick.

 

[Nate]

Ah... Thommo is a funny bloke. Makes me laugh.

We`ll let the result do the talking. What REALLY annoys me though, is Australia`s performance in dead rubbers! Like Ashes series, against India in India...

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Ah... Thommo is a funny bloke. Makes me laugh.

We`ll let the result do the talking. What REALLY annoys me though, is Australia`s performance in dead rubbers! Like Ashes series, against India in India...

Totally overblown. Compare the records... since 1999 Australia has whitewashed more than half of their series. No other team in history even comes remotely close to this. In the West Indian undefeated (in series) period between 1980 and 1995 they whitewashed something like 6 series. Australia has whitewashed 12 or 13 since 1999. They definately perform much better in dead rubbers.

edit: correction, if you discount one-off series Australia has whitewashed 11 out of 20 since 1999, while in the 1980-1995 period the West Indies only scored two non-one off whitewashes, which were the consecutive 5-0 thumpings of England in 1984 and 1986.

 

[Nate]

Haha whatever!

It just annoys me in big series, recently India in India, when we seem to lose the last one.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Haha whatever!

It just annoys me in big series, recently India in India, when we seem to lose the last one.

Sometimes yeah. India in 2004, West Indies in 2003, England in 2002/03 etc.

 

[chaminda_00]

Sometimes yeah. India in 2004, West Indies in 2003, England in 2002/03 etc.

I think Aussie are so used to winning every game they can't come to terms with losing one game. I doubt their is too many teams around the world that have a better record in dead rubbers, or given themselves so many chances to play dead rubbers.

 

[twctopcat]

I do love all these comments. If i was an ex-aussie player is there really any need to say "Oz will win 3-0 or 4-0", it's not as if this is a groundbreaking thought that no-one knew about, yet we supposedly needed to know people like Thommo's opinion so much, which frankly mean f*ck all. The same goes for Mcgrath, warne etc, all they do is state the obvious, trying to sounds big and clever. I hope all the english players are laughing off these comments.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I do love all these comments. If i was an ex-aussie player is there really any need to say "Oz will win 3-0 or 4-0", it's not as if this is a groundbreaking thought that no-one knew about, yet we supposedly needed to know people like Thommo's opinion so much, which frankly mean f*ck all. The same goes for Mcgrath, warne etc, all they do is state the obvious, trying to sounds big and clever. I hope all the english players are laughing off these comments.

To be fair to the likes of Warne and McGrath, they do interviews regularly and are constantly asked about things such as their hopes/predictions for the Ashes. For them to say "I'm confident and think we will win" or something of the sort is hardly over the top. Thommo just makes a name for himself spouting rubbish, however.

 

[twctopcat]

To be fair to the likes of Warne and McGrath, they do interviews regularly and are constantly asked about things such as their hopes/predictions for the Ashes. For them to say "I'm confident and think we will win" or something of the sort is hardly over the top. Thommo just makes a name for himself spouting rubbish, however.

True, but you can see them trying to alpha the english guys out sub consciously. I hope it doesn't work!!

 

[howardj]

Yeah but Struass would be compared to Langer, Australia best opener, and Hayden to Tescothick.

That doesnt make sense. In a combined team, you choose the best two openers - you dont compare the best with the best, and the 2nd best with the 2nd best. That defeats the purpose of picking a combined team - which is, that the resources of the teams get pooled, and the best 11 get selected.

 

[Richard]

And currently it's beyond question that an eclectic opening-pair would be Langer and Strauss (who'd face first is open for question, given that Langer at Middx hardly ever batted anywhere but three).

 

[Richard]

Sometimes yeah. India in 2004, West Indies in 2003, England in 2002/03 etc.

A pattern emerges, if you look at them all...
All the 2nd of back-to-back Tests (not, of course, like that's unusual these days), the last 2 at the end of an arudous playing period, the last 2 with injuries kicking-in...
Especially the SCG match everything (for once) was in our favour. Australia had 1 decent bowler left, and he was half-fit and bowled like it (copped some massively unfair criticism too IMO); we won the toss on a turner that fell to pieces; almost all Australia's dropped catches proved significant, while we let nothing slip all game.
The Antigua match was really rather freakish and the W-ankhede game, well, 13 runs, can't really say much on that.
Very rarely can you place the blame squarely at the door of dead-rubber syndrome; the defeats just happened to come in dead games, when things such as the end of an arudous period was kicking-in.

 

[vic_orthdox]

2004 india - rolled australia for 90 to win by 17 runs
2003 west indies - chased down a world record target to win
2002/03 - michael vaughan massacre, plus a collapse to win
2001 - generous declaration, and (aguably) mark butcher's finest moment

its taken some out of the ordinary performances in these dead rubbers to prevent clean sweeps. i think you can read something out of that.

 

[BoyBrumby]

2004 india - rolled australia for 90 to win by 17 runs
2003 west indies - chased down a world record target to win
2002/03 - michael vaughan massacre, plus a collapse to win
2001 - generous declaration, and (aguably) mark butcher's finest moment

its taken some out of the ordinary performances in these dead rubbers to prevent clean sweeps. i think you can read something out of that.

Yeah, there's some truth in that. You can also add:

6th test of the 1997 Ashes- Oz were 3-1 up & folded for 104 chasing 124 with Tuffers taking 11 wickets in the match

4th test of 1998/99 Ashes- Oz 2-0 ahead with 2 to play, so technically we could’ve tied series but the urn was gone, Oz folded for 162 chasing 175 with Dean Headley bagging 6 in the 2nd innings

I think the idea that Oz are dead-rubber chokers has probably been exaggerated because it usually seems to happen during The Ashes, which I guess is still the highest profile series in tests.

 

[Richard]

And 3 of those Ashes matches have hinged on miraculous performances from single players; Tufnell in 1997, Deano in 1998\99 and Butcher in 2001.
I mean, who'd honestly have predicted any of them on the final day?
And as I've already mentioned, The SCG 2002\03 they were half the side by that time in the series and for once everything conspired in our favour.

 

[Richard]

Oz folded for 162 chasing 175 with Dean Headley bagging 6 in the 2nd innings

And more precisely they folded from 130 for 3, losing 7 for 32 while needing 45 to win.
Incredible catch from Ramps to start the slide, too.