*Official* India Tour of Australia 2018/19

[Midwinter]

If you keep doing the same thing why would you expect a different result ?

 

[trundler]

They could but I don't remember saying it

You said a Mitch Marsh ton was guaranteed with 150 between the tail and Paine.

 

[Spark]

This is a very dodgy claim. Apart from those two, no one else even has their spot in the team nailed down right now.

flem's point is mine basically. they aren't worldbeaters but india definitely has a glut of solid middling test batsmen who can be relied on to make runs when in form (however often that happens). a lot of the aus players can't even consistently make big scores even when they're been picked in good form!

 

[Flem274*]

You've only named one for each team there. There aren't many lineups performing well these days.

i cbf naming everyone mate

 

[ankitj]

Wish Bumrah got more fivers and 10fers but has too much competition for wickets these days, much like Garner in West Indian pace attack of 80s. (Sorry, I am getting carried away).

 

[honestbharani]

Serious question here. Can Oz consider playing Behrendorff for Starc or Hazlewood next test?

 

[cnerd123]

flem's point is mine basically. they aren't worldbeaters but india definitely has a glut of solid middling test batsmen who can be relied on to make runs when in form (however often that happens). a lot of the aus players can't even consistently make big scores even when they're been picked in good form!

India doesn't have this tho. Other sides do, but for India atm it really is just Rahane, and he's averaging like 30 over the past two years or whatever.

Rohit has sucked outside of downhill skiing (tho he played a decent knock here), our openers are all out of touch, Agarwal and Vihari are basically debutants, and Pant is a poor man's De Kock. We don't have much in terms of middle order depth either - who is next in line? Karun Nair? Manish Pandey?

Take Kohli and Pujara out of this current XI and they would really, really struggle to put on decent scores.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Is a Bumrah ever seen without a smile in the wild? Such a likeable guy.

 

[trundler]

Wish Bumrah got more fivers and 10fers but has too much competition for wickets these days, much like Garner in West Indian pace attack of 80s. (Sorry, I am getting carried away).

It is understandable. First world class pace attack in 80 years must be very exciting.

How many of these guys are vegetarians?

 

[Spark]

India doesn't have this tho. Other sides do, but for India atm it really is just Rahane, and he's averaging like 30 over the past two years or whatever.

Rohit has sucked outside of downhill skiing (tho he played a decent knock here), our openers are all out of touch, Agarwal and Vihari are basically debutants, and Pant is a poor man's De Kock. We don't have much in terms of middle order depth either - who is next in line? Karun Nair? Manish Pandey?

Take Kohli and Pujara out of this current XI and they would really, really struggle to put on decent scores.

but what i'm saying is that a side full of downhill skiiers is still a dangerous test team. this is literally what we had for years and we still managed to pick up a lot of series wins. you wouldn't win SA eng aus away but you'd win most anything else.

the australian blokes haven't even learned to ski properly yet.

 

[vcs]

India have a reasonable number of batsmen who can bully decent attacks at home IMO. Dhawan, Sharma etc. and even n00bs like Nair, Shaw etc. Rarely have we ever had this kind of depth even though we can't seem to find 11 world class players to do a job everywhere. Hopefully Shaw can turn out to be the world class opener and we can find an upgrade on Rahane.

 

[trundler]

Pakistan and SL have it worse. Their senior players who are supposed to be quality absolutely suck right now (Matthews exempted). Amla and Faf have regressed like Rahane. Painful to watch those 3 really.

 

[Burgey]

Our attack is keeping this side from being as bad as the 80s. The batting in this side is arguably weaker, with no Border there as an ATG among the dross.

Shows how important bowling is tbh. Even when you have a **** batting line up, if you have a good attack you’re in the game. This batting line up with a mid-80s attack would easily be the worst Australian team in my life time.

As for selection processes etc, I hark back to state systems, which are set on picking the next big 17 year old instead of blokes who’ve ground out **** loads of runs in grade over a number of seasons. You know - pick them on how they go against grown men instead of in **** house LO tourneys against other kids. It’s a problem at every level.

 

[Arachnodouche]

India doesn't have this tho. Other sides do, but for India atm it really is just Rahane, and he's averaging like 30 over the past two years or whatever.

Rohit has sucked outside of downhill skiing (tho he played a decent knock here), our openers are all out of touch, Agarwal and Vihari are basically debutants, and Pant is a poor man's De Kock. We don't have much in terms of middle order depth either - who is next in line? Karun Nair? Manish Pandey?

Take Kohli and Pujara out of this current XI and they would really, really struggle to put on decent scores.

Tbh, I'm getting tired of the if only Smith and Warner were here brigade. Regardless of bans, this performance against traditionally and recently poor travellers does not augur well for Aus cricket. And I'm not so sure those two would've been as consistent as four years ago against this Indian bowling side. Difference makers, all things considered, but not utterly dominant.

 

[OverratedSanity]

flem's point is mine basically. they aren't worldbeaters but india definitely has a glut of solid middling test batsmen who can be relied on to make runs when in form (however often that happens). a lot of the aus players can't even consistently make big scores even when they're been picked in good form!

Rahane is the only one who fits this description. The openers are averaging in the 20s this year, Rohit is a prank batsman, and Pant is a nutcase. I don't think this lineup is any better than Australia's if you remove the big two.

The only difference is they have more accomplished fc records, but ranji averages are, well, you know.

 

[Spark]

Tbh, I'm getting tired of the if only Smith and Warner were here brigade. Regardless of bans, this performance against traditionally and recently poor travellers does not augur well for Aus cricket. And I'm not so sure those two would've been as consistent as four years ago against this Indian bowling side. Difference makers, all things considered, but not utterly dominant.

smith would be absolutely fine. warner would probably struggle a bit with bumrah.

 

[trundler]

Yeah let's not pretend Smith alone wouldn't make a world of difference here. There is a problem with the batsmen but suggesting Smith's presence would be inconsequential is farcical.

 

[Burgey]

Tbh, I'm getting tired of the if only Smith and Warner were here brigade. Regardless of bans, this performance against traditionally and recently poor travellers does not augur well for Aus cricket. And I'm not so sure those two would've been as consistent as four years ago against this Indian bowling side. Difference makers, all things considered, but not utterly dominant.

This is pretty much my view on things, and why I believe if we lose at home to India it will surpass the away series loss to SL as the single worst moment in Australian cricket history. It’s one thing to lose to a SC team away, but it’s utterly **** house to lose to one at home, no matter who’s in or out of the side. It’s a proper embarrassment. It actually makes me physically ill to think it will probably happen.

 

[Spark]

Rahane is the only one who fits this description. The openers are averaging in the 20s this year, Rohit is a prank batsman, and Pant is a nutcase. I don't think this lineup is any better than Australia's if you remove the big two.

The only difference is they have more accomplished fc records, but ranji averages are, well, you know.

but the ranji records do tell you something! it tells you that these blokes do have some idea about what it takes to bat for six hours plus. presumably not involving hacking across the line to half-volleys with no foot movement.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think India should be the best team in the world comfortably, for as long Test cricket lasts tbh. They probably should have been for the last 20-30 years at least but for some reason it's taken them a while to get it right. With how big the sport is in India, the relative lack of competition from other sports & the sheer population and interest in cricket compared with the other cricketing nations should make them the best team for a long time to come.

The interest in cricket in England has been declining rapidly according to many, and I daresay it's probably the case in most non-subcontinental countries. The rise of Afghanistan has been a bright spark but I doubt they'll ever challenge India.